ROCKETMAN MAKES REAL THRILLS HIS BUSINESS.

Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer

SAUGUS -- The rocket pack Dan Schlund flies for a living is the kind of technology most people only dream of using.

And while he relies on some pretty sophisticated technology, Schlund wouldn't think of strapping it on his back and zooming into the air without taking a few moments for a prayer huddle with his two technicians.

His dad has him beat.

On Schlund's recent Rose Parade flight, his father was praying with his rosary beads in hand while Schlund was in the air -- 75 feet high at one point.

It turns out flying a rocket belt is more scary than it seems -- or at least than Schlund's beaming post-flight smile makes it seem.

``What's difficult is you either succeed in triumph, or you go down in defeat,'' Schlund joked.

Schlund, 37, grew up in Santa Clarita, went to Saugus High School and worked on stunt shows for Magic Mountain. The son of a retired Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer, Schlund also at one time worked as a paramedic.

Now, he lives in Dallas, co-owns a business called The Rocketman for which he is the sole pilot, and travels around the world to fly in special events.

By Schlund's own count, he is the 11th person ever to fly a rocket belt, which was originally developed for the military in the 1960s.

Schlund is also stepping off into a new adventure -- on July 14 he will marry his sweetheart Chelley Alesso. Schlund was back in town this past weekend for wedding arrangements.

Alesso only saw Schlund fly for the first time the weekend of the Rose Parade.

She wasn't at the parade, because the Rocketman team of Schlund and two technicians believed having her and the other significant others attend could be a distraction. So Alesso watched it on television from a hotel room.

``I don't think I inhaled until his feet touched the ground,'' Alesso said. ``As soon as he landed, his assistant's wife and I just started screaming. I think I tackled her.''

Schlund's father Jerry, 65, was nervous, because on the test flight his son ran out of fuel a few feet before touching down and fell to his knees. The rocket belt only has enough fuel for 30 seconds, and Jerry Schlund told his son on parade day to land after 26 seconds.

Instead, Schlund's feet hit the pavement after 27 seconds.

``He's always done that, he's always pushing the envelope -- no matter what,'' Jerry Schlund said, sitting at a table across from his son.

The rocket belt Schlund flies runs on highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide. When Schlund is in the air, he has three sets of ear plugs stuffed in his ears because the machine is so loud.

Schlund started learning to fly in 2000, after meeting The Rocketman team at a convention. Having organized stunt-man shows for a variety of theme parks, he melded into a behind-the-scenes role for The Rocketman team, until he started flying the 165-pound rocket belt in shows last year.

The company has had two previous pilots, Schlund said.

How hard was it to learn to fly the dream toy?

``It's like standing on a beach ball with two fire hoses and trying to balance,'' Schlund said.

Nevertheless, Schlund said he plans to keep doing it for years, and a reality TV show is in the works. More information on the The Rocketman and images of Schlund flying are available at www.rocketman.org.

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