"Ed Force One’s Last Riff: Iron Maiden’s 747 Shreds into Boston’s Metal Legacy"
Boston’s got a heartbeat that thumps to the rhythm of rebellion—617’s streets pulse with history, hustle, and the kind of raw energy that makes you wanna crank the volume and scream. Enter Iron Maiden, the British metal gods who didn’t just play here—they owned the damn place. Back in June 2017, the Xfinity Center in Mansfield—close enough to smell the Charles River—shook with the fury of “Fear of the Dark,” and above it all, their Boeing 747, “Ed Force One,” had been the chariot of chaos that brought the madness to our doorstep. Now, that beast of the skies has been torn apart, melted down, and stamped into commemorative metal tags—and Boston’s faithful are ready to claim their piece of the riff.
This ain’t just a plane story. This is Maiden’s middle finger to the ordinary—a jumbo jet piloted by Bruce Dickinson, the howling madman who trades mic stands for control yokes like it’s nothing. That 747, TF-AAK, hauled amps, drums, and Eddie’s snarling grin across 36 countries on the 2016 “Book of Souls” tour, landing near enough to make Boston’s metalheads lose their minds. It flew again for 2017’s epic Mansfield throwdown, where the crowd—Southie toughs, Allston punks, and Dorchester diehards—roared loud enough to wake the ghosts of the Tea Party. That plane wasn’t just transport; it was a flying war cry.
Making The Tag!
Fast forward to 2025: “Ed Force One” met the grinder in a UK scrapyard, but Maiden doesn’t do quiet exits. The Germans at Aviationtag took the wreckage—white fuselage, blue tail, every dented inch—and punched out 12,000 jagged metal tags. Each one’s a shard of history, stamped with Eddie’s leering mug and the “Ed Force One” insignia, priced at a devilish €66.66 ($73, because “Number of the Beast,” baby). Some tags even bleed gold from hidden paint layers, a secret unearthed when the blades hit deep. Only 12,000 from a beast that could’ve spit out ten times that—because rarity’s the name of the game, and Boston doesn’t settle for common.
This hits home harder than a dropkick at a Sox game. Maiden’s been a 617 obsession since the ‘80s—think 2003’s Worcester Palladium insanity or the 2012 Comcast Center shred-fest. That 2017 Mansfield gig? Pure Boston fuel: humid summer night, cheap beer in the air, and a sea of black tees screaming “Run to the Hills.” Now, with their “Run For Your Lives” tour roaring back this spring (fingers crossed for a local date), these tags are more than trinkets—they’re battle scars for the faithful. Dickinson, the aviator-shaman, called that 747 “the Queen of the Skies,” and every tag’s a crown jewel for the wicked souls of 617.
Wicked 617’s here to stake its claim in Boston’s story—where the past meets the pulse, and the area code’s a badge of honor. This is our turf: the grit of the Green Monster, the snarl of a T ride at rush hour, the echo of Maiden’s galloping bass in a packed house. Those tags? They’re flying off Aviationtag’s site faster than a Maiden solo—grab one, wear it, and tell us your loudest Maiden memory. This ain’t just metal; it’s Boston metal. Up the irons, 617 style.
Temporarily out of stock. There will be some more white and blue aviationtags coming and will be added to the shop. Please activate the notifications below to receive an automatic email when they are back in stock. More info here.