He Flew a Real Jetpack, Broke His Neck, and Rebuilt His Life | Dan Schlund the Rocket Man.
Dan Schlund spent a decade flying a real rocket belt across six continents, becoming one of only eleven people in history to do it professionally. He also survived a training crash that burned 185 square inches of skin off his leg, and a Guinness World Record attempt that broke his neck and ended his career. Kevin talks with Dan about fear, identity, faith, and why his motto is "don't let your last experience be a bad one."
Kevin's childhood hero wasn't Superman. It was Rocketman, the real one, the guy who flew across stadiums on live jet propulsion. Decades later, Kevin found himself performing at the same Super Bowl halftime show as the original Rocketman, and now sits down with Dan Schlund, one of only eleven people ever to professionally fly a rocket belt.
Dan flew across six continents for a decade. Along the way, a training accident left him with severe burns and three skin graft surgeries. Years later, a Guinness World Record attempt ended in a crash that broke his neck and closed the door on his career. He lost his identity, struggled with painkiller dependency, and went through a divorce, all while trying to figure out who he was without the persona that had defined him.
This conversation moves through Dan's stunt career, his years as a paramedic, the physics and danger of rocket belt flight, and how he eventually rebuilt his life and his business from the ground up. He and Kevin talk about faith, managing fear with logic, and the central message of Dan's book, The Last Rocket Man: it's okay to pivot in your 40s and 50s, and you might not just survive it, you might thrive.
Key Takeaways
Dan is one of only eleven people to ever professionally fly a rocket belt, a technology that dates back to 1961
A training crash burned 185 square inches of skin off his leg and required three skin graft surgeries. He chose to fly again rather than live with the regret of quitting
His personal motto, "don't let your last experience be a bad one," came from his stunt background and shaped every comeback in his life
A Guinness World Record attempt ended his professional rocket belt career when a fuel malfunction caused a crash that broke his neck
He lost his identity, struggled with painkiller dependency, and divorced during the fallout, then rebuilt through his paramedic and medic-staffing business
His three-part framework before taking any risk: Am I trained? Is the equipment safe? Do I have a proper crew?
His book, The Last Rocket Man, centers on one idea: it's okay to pivot in your 40s and 50s, and that pivot can lead to thriving, not just surviving
Final advice: don't live your life with regrets, and remember that trying something and deciding it isn't for you is a decision, not a regret.
Guest Bio
Dan Schlund is one of only eleven people in history to professionally fly a rocket belt, performing across six continents over a decade-long career. Before that, he worked as a Hollywood stuntman, playing characters including Batman and Indiana Jones, and spent years as an EMT and paramedic in Los Angeles and Dallas.
After a Guinness World Record attempt ended his rocket belt career with a broken neck, Dan rebuilt his life, launching a medic-staffing business for film and television productions. He is the author of The Last Rocket Man and the subject of an upcoming documentary. Dan lives by the motto "don't let your last experience be a bad one."
Connect with Dan
Website: rocketman.tv
Book: The Last Rocket Man, available on Amazon and anywhere books are sold
Documentary: coming later this year or early next year
Connect with Kevin
https://linktr.ee/kevinmcnulty
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