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English heavy metal band Iron Maiden once sang, “Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter,” but when it comes to dismantling the band’s Boeing 747-400 tour plane, it’s a little more complicated.
German company Aviationtag, which specializes in upcycling scrapped airplanes, has created a limited run of one-of-a-kind tags made from the fuselage of Ed Force One, the moniker given the plane that served the band on its 2016 Book of Souls world tour.
The tail fin was decorated with the image of Eddie, Iron Maiden’s zombie-like mascot, but it’s now the plane’s turn to be dismembered and then resurrected.
Each tag, which can be used as a keychain or simply as a collector’s item, is made from the plane’s white fuselage.
“To create color variations, we also incorporated material from the blue tail fin, which had up to nine layers of paint applied over time,” Aviationtag’s chief commercial officer Tobia Richter tells CNN.
They’re sized around 1.5 by 3.5 inches (35 by 88 millimeters) and retail at €66.66 (around $73) on Aviationtag’s website.
The price point, of course, is a nod to 666 and the Iron Maiden hit, “The Number of the Beast.”
A Boeing 747-400 is a full 71 meters (230 feet) in length, so, in theory, Ed Force One could be turned into up to 100,000 tags, explains Ricther, but their preference is to keep things to a limited run.
Aviationtag has been upcycling aviation materials since 2006, and has turned everything from commercial craft like the Airbus A380 to military planes such as the DC-3 “candy bomber” into collector’s items.
“We want to keep offering our fans and collectors new aircraft from different airlines, rather than making massive editions from just one plane,” says Richter. “That’s why we prefer smaller, exclusive editions from a wider variety of aircraft, ensuring each tag remains truly special.”
On Ed Force One, “in some areas, we even discovered gold-colored paint beneath the layers, adding an extra touch of uniqueness to this edition,” Richter adds, explaining that the gold versions will be released at a later date.
The full process of creating the tags takes several weeks. “After cutting the panels, we move on to cutting them into strips, punching, deburring, cleaning, laser engraving the front, engraving the back, cleaning again, attaching the ring and chain, and finally mounting the tag on the cardboard,” says Richter.
The full process can be seen in Aviationtag’s “Making of” video.
According to planespotters.net, the aircraft was delivered to Air France in 2003 under the registration F-GITH, before going to Air Atlanta Icelandic in 2015 as TF-AAK. It also did a brief stint with Saudi Arabia Airlines before eventually being withdrawn from use in 2022 and broken up at Cotswold Airport in the UK in 2024.
Bruce Dickinson, frontman of Iron Maiden, is a licensed pilot whose passion for aviation is well known. Having flown Ed Force One himself, he said in a press release, “She always behaved like the Queen of the Skies that the 747 will always be. There will never be another to occupy her throne. The power, the noise of those 4 engines, the featherlight touchdowns (not my fault — blame good design) and her airborne elegance put the 747 in a unique
category.”
Like what you just read? Here are more of our recent travel stories, from a Texan woman who moved to France in her 70s and is loving every minute, to Time Out’s pick of the best foodie destinations for 2025.
Time Out best food cities 2025
A golden rule of travel should be “leave room in your suitcase — but also your belly.”
Feasting on local delights is the glorious reward that follows a few hours’ sightseeing in a new locale.
To aid your next culinary adventure, publishing giant Time Out has just released its list of the best cities in which to eat.
New Orleans came out on top in its global survey of more than 18,500 people, thanks to its culinary blend of French, Spanish, Vietnamese and African influences. These are deliciously manifested in treats such as gumbo, jambalaya and beignets.
The No. 2 spot went to Bangkok, Thailand, with its glorious food scene covering everything from Michelin-starred fine dining such as the acclaimed restaurant Gaggan Anand to a multitude of markets with $3 street-food stars.
At No. 3, Medellín, Colombia, impressed Time Out’s readers with its affordability and cheap coffee. In South Africa’s Cape Town, at No. 4, locals love the coastal city’s diverse food offerings, particularly the seafood.
Madrid’s flourishing food scene (at No. 5) is both “diverse” and “experimental,” say locals, and in recent years Mexico City (No. 6) has become a top destination for international foodies in the know.
Jollof rice and smoky suya fuel locals in the vibrant Nigerian city of Lagos (at No. 7). In Shanghai, China, at No. 8, thousands of years of food history have been perfected in today’s adventurous culinary scene.
France is the birthplace of haute cuisine so it’s only fitting that the French capital is in the top 10 at No. 9.
The leaderboard is filled out by Jakarta at No. 10. CNN readers once voted rendang the most delicious food in the world, but it’s just one of the many lip-smacking dishes Indonesia has to offer.
These are the rest of the cities in the top 20: Marrakech, Morocco (No. 11). Lima, Peru (No. 12). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (No. 13). Mumbai, India (No. 14). Abu Dhabi, UAE (No. 15). Cairo (No. 16). Porto, Portugal (No. 17). Montreal (No. 18). Naples, Italy (No. 19). San José, Costa Rica (No. 20).
Retired American woman moved to France and is never looking back
A few years back, Texan Janice Deerwester decided she wanted more from life. So, in her 70s, she moved to France for a new life in Fontainebleau, just outside Paris. “I’m just blessed every day that I get to live here,” she tells CNN.
A vast undersea tunnel is being built that will change the road and rail map of Europe.
The engineering marvel is unfolding under the Baltic Sea.
“White Lotus” Season 3 promises to lure more travelers to Thailand.
These are the locations featured on the hit show.
Four friends went on vacation.
Then they recreated a favorite photo from 35 years ago.
There’s science behind airplane de-icing.
A mechanical engineer explains.