The Boeing 757 that carried Iron Maiden’s The Final Frontier tour livery in 2011 was registered G-STRX. It was an Astraeus 757-200. After the band’s livery came off in October 2011, the aircraft went back to airline work, was deregistered in December 2011, re-registered as EI-ETR, and was dismantled in 2012. The 757 is often confused with the band’s earlier 757 and with the 747 used on a later tour, so the registration is the quickest way to pin down which aircraft is meant.
Which aircraft the question refers to
Iron Maiden’s “Ed Force One” nickname has been attached to more than one aircraft. The table below separates the three that tend to get mixed up.
| Aircraft | Type | Tour and period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-OJIB | Boeing 757 | Earlier 757 tour, 2008–09 | Separate airframe from G-STRX |
| G-STRX | Boeing 757-200 (Astraeus) | The Final Frontier tour, 2011 | The subject of this article |
| TF-AAK | Boeing 747 | Book of Souls tour, 2016 | A different type entirely; not the 757 |
If a source says only “the Ed Force One,” check the registration or the type. A 747 story does not answer a question about the 757.
The G-STRX timeline
The fullest account of this airframe’s life comes from a specialist aircraft-history timeline rather than from an official register or the dismantler itself. Read it as the most detailed available chronology, not as a primary record.
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- February 2011: tour livery applied. G-STRX was flown in Iron Maiden livery for the The Final Frontier tour.
- October 2011: livery removed. The band’s artwork came off and the aircraft returned to ordinary airline service, including a further lease for operations.
- 15 December 2011: deregistered. The UK registration was cancelled.
- Re-registration as EI-ETR. The airframe was then registered in Ireland under EI-ETR.
- 3 February 2012: ferried for scrapping. The aircraft was flown to Goodyear for part-out and scrapping.
- 27 July 2012: scrapping completed. This is the final milestone in the timeline.
The 2012 dismantling dates are the least independently verified part of this chronology, since they come from the timeline rather than from the dismantler’s own paperwork.
What the band said about the livery
The official Iron Maiden website carries a statement from Bruce Dickinson, the band’s lead singer, about the removal of the livery. It reads, with the original spelling:
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“I am gutted to have to tell you that Astraeus Airlines have been forced to remove the Iron Maiden decals (artwork transfers) from the Boeing 757 and that its now highly unlikely that operational proceedures will allow enough time to have the Ed Force One livery reinstated for my Bruce Air trips.”
The statement is useful background on why the livery was removed and on the Bruce Air trips it was meant to cover. It does not, on its own, document what happened to the airframe afterwards.
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How to verify the aircraft’s history yourself
Registration records are the usual starting point for any aircraft question, but they have limits for an airframe that no longer exists.
- Start with the UK CAA G-INFO service. It returns details of currently registered aircraft, so a deregistered airframe such as G-STRX will not appear as a live entry.
- Look for the cancellation record. Historical UK register entries show the deregistration date and the reason for cancellation. Check the registration history rather than the live listing.
- Cross-check the Irish registration. A re-registration as EI-ETR should be visible in Irish civil aviation records if you need to confirm it independently.
- Treat the scrapping dates as secondary. Dismantling milestones usually come from aviation-history databases, enthusiast timelines, or trade reports. Where a dismantler’s own record is not available, say so when you cite the date.
Common confusions to avoid
- G-OJIB is not G-STRX. The earlier 2008–09 tour 757 was a different airframe.
- The 747 is not the 757. The 2016 Book of Souls tour used a Boeing 747, which is a separate aircraft with its own story.
- “Ed Force One” describes a livery, not a single aircraft. The nickname has been applied across several tours and airframes.
For a clear answer, quote the registration. G-STRX identifies the 2011 Boeing 757, and nothing else in this story shares that registration.
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