Real Jetpack Pilot Explains Extreme Risk, Stunts, & Mindset | Dan Schlund

Fewer people have flown a hydrogen peroxide-powered rocket belt than have walked on the moon—and Dan Schlund is one of them. In this episode of the 5AM Podcast, host Michael Klassen sits down with stuntman, pyrotechnician, and real-life "Rocketman" Dan Schlund to explore what it really takes to strap 800 horsepower to your spine, face near-fatal crashes, and build a $10M+ business from the ground up. Dan breaks down the physics and intense pressure of flying a rocket belt 100 feet in the air with no parachute, zero room for error, and 800-degree steam blasting off his back. He opens up about a catastrophic world-record attempt crash that left him with a broken neck, severe burns, and crippling anxiety—and how he found the mental grit to strap the rocket back on a decade later to finish what he started. Beyond the stunts, Dan shares how he leveraged his high-risk experience as a paramedic to pivot in his 40s and found National Set Medics. Whether you are facing a major mid-life pivot, struggling with fear, or looking to build a resilient mindset, Dan’s actionable framework on risk and courage will shift how you view your limits. In this episode, we discuss:✅ The real tech behind rocket belts vs. jetpacks.✅ Flying in front of 400M people at the Pasadena Rose Parade with half a second of fuel left.✅ Why fear is information, not instruction. ✅ How to practice courage as a daily skill rather than a personality trait. ✅ Diagnosing his own broken neck on the crash pad. ✅ Pivoting mid-life to build a $10,000,000+ film set medical business. ✅ Why you should make decisions based on logic, not emotion. Connect & Learn More: Learn more about Dan’s memoirs and upcoming documentary at Rocketman.tv Subscribe to the 5AM Podcast for more deep-dive conversations on leadership, mindset, and performance.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction: Flying a Rocket Belt vs. Walking on the Moon. 03:06 - Rocket Belts vs. Jetpacks: How the Tech Actually Works. 06:08 - The Stuntman Mindset & The Rocketeer Influence. 12:47 - What 800 Horsepower Strapped to Your Spine Feels Like. 18:22 - The 2007 Rose Parade Flight: Landing on Half a Second of Fuel. 25:57 - The World Record Crash: Diagnosing a Broken Neck on the Pad. 29:20 - Overcoming Trauma, PTSD, and Mental Scars. 31:47 - "Fear is Information, Not Instruction". 34:16 - Why Courage is a Practiced Skill. 38:41 - Pivoting into Business: Building National Set Medics into a $10M+ Company.42:03 - Mid-Life Pivots & Adapting to Disruption. 50:32 - Think Logically, Feel Emotionally: Decision Making Under Pressure. 51:57 - Faith, Perspective, and Living Without Regrets.Follow 5AM Podcast on our YouTube channel: YouTube.com/@5AMPodcastChannelSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06ptr5B...Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...👉 CONNECT WITH US:🌐 Website: www.5AMPodcast.com📱 Instagram: www.instagram.com/5ampodcast🐦 X.com: x.com/5AMPodcast1📘 Facebook: www.facebook.com/5ampodcast⏰ TikTok: www.TikTok.com/@5am.podcastSupport the Show:☕ Buy Us a Virtual Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/5ampodcast#decisionmaking, #mentalclarity, #bellrocketbelt, #5AMPodcast, #rocketbelt, #extremeriskmanagement, #calculatedrisk, #overcomingfear, #businessresilience, #5AMpodcast, #christianmotivation, #christianpodcast, #christianpodcaster,