This song always makes me think of my granddad who is of the ripe old age of 96. He was a pilot in the Second World War flying in hurricanes, spitfires, Lancasters, thunderbolts and just about every other aircraft available to the RAF. He was in the Battle of Britain as well as many others.

I remember one story he told me about when he was in a Lancaster bomber carpet bombing Germany. Grandad was in the co-pilot seat, they’re being tailed by a Messerschmitt and suddenly the central gunner’s head explodes and he falls limp out of the turret.

No words are exchanged between pilot and copilot but the pilot gestures with a subtle flick of his eye brows toward the back of the plane as an instruction to Grandad to go and fill the empty gunner seat. So he did just that and ran down the plane corridor, climbed up into the turret and started firing back again.

Can you imagine what that would have been like? Wow.

As you can probably tell, I am very proud of him.

Iron Maiden are the undisputed masters of the story song.

Iron Maiden - Flight of Icarus

Iron Maiden - Infinite Dreams

By the way, Bruce Dickinson is a commercial airline pilot and frequently flys his band on tour around the world with a Boeing 747. I know he's not a fighter pilot but he probably has more sense of that feeling than most people.

Being an ace pilot means you have shot down at least five enemies.

Iron Maiden - The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Perfect cardio song.

Iron Maiden - Phantom of the Opera with their original singer Paul Dianno.

I believe it was based on the Battle of Britain. The fighter pilots were fierce. Most knew their life expectancy was extremely short and they fought their asses off.

Hearing this song live was one of the best moments of my life

Crowd went nuts

This song live with the Churchill opening is awesome.

Nothing like hearing Aces live

moonchild! the whole seventh son of a seventh son album!

I have been summoned!

As an Englishman this song makes me very proud, Battle of Britain 1940, forever made immortal by the legends Iron Maiden.

Rainbow- Man on the Silver Mountain(Dio vocals)

I think Bruce's grandfather was a RAF pilot during WW2, thus inspiring this song.

P.S: On their most recent tour they had a real life sized prop of a Spitfire airplane on stage during this song, pretty cool.

Iron Maiden - Where eagles dare
Fates Warning - Exodus
Skyclad - Inequality street
Slough Feg - Traders and Gunboats
Artillery - Khomanniac

"It's a song about card games"

lol wut?

Iron Maiden - Remember Tomorrow live 1980 with Paul Di'Anno