In the 1970's, I saw a guy on the nightly news...flying on the back of a jetliner, wing-walker style. The TV station played the Beach Boys song "I Get Around" as the stuntman and DC-8 jet did low passes over the crowd.
I have searched since then for some trace, a rumour, a smidge of a half truth. Nothing. Lately I have been sending emails to various aviation websites and chat rooms to find clues as to whether what I saw was the real deal.
For the longest time, I thought that it was a Boeing jet that carried this guy into the skies some 35 or so years ago. I then associated the Seattle TV station with the possibility of the flight happening at Paine Field. All of this led me to ask an airliner historian if he knew anything about such a thing. He said no, and suggested that such a stunt was totally impractical and nearly impossible. ( super dangerous for the stunt-man...excellent chance of a career implosion for the pilot of such a flight...and who in their right mind is going fork over a passenger jet for this? )
I asked military aviation bloggers if they knew anything...most were shocked to think that anyone would even consider such a thing, never mind that I'm telling them that it happened before the were born.
I finally came across an aviation blog called"Indy Transponder". It was jam packed with details, minutiae and aviation oddities...mixed with up to date news and tech goodies. I thought to myself...this guy will know, or he knows someone who will know.
I sent him a quick note explaining the search. He replied back, saying that he also had some fuzzy recollection of such a thing. A couple hours later the writer, Mike Souders came back with "We aren't crazy, it did happen!"
He had the name, he had the photos. The name gave me fuel for more searching and voila' ...a Youtube video. Magic.
So..ladies and what few gentlemen read this stuff...the result of asking for three decades...did I really see that?
Yes...Yes I did.
FLASH...new video found on Jan 30/2013 watch it here...direct from Clay Lacey Aviation
Presenting Rick Rojatt, the Human Fly
This flick is about the promoter of "The Human Fly", trying to create the world's greatest stunt show on Earth
...footage of the epic flights are featured a couple times in the short clip
And here is a Sept 2013 re-edit with rocking music soundtrack...click the link
http://adventuresinmikeslife.
Here is a link to the story about the pilot of the DC-8 jet liner Clay Lacy ...
fascinating guy...lived the kind of life that most people only dream of
http://www.airportjournals.
And the Clay Lacy wiki page ( because he has done so much cool stuff too )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Lacy
And...on Sept 16/2014...Clay Lacy Aviation got in touch to say how much they enjoyed the post. That was a great gesture to reach out like that.
Here is a link to the Clay Lacy Aviation website...( if you charter one of their jets....it's OK to invite me along for the ride....I'll make the time. )
www.claylacy.com
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| Ex Japan Airlines DC-8 owned at the time by American Jet Industries, owned by Allen Paulson. His company would go on to buy the Gulfstream business jet franchise. Paulson and the DC-8 pilot, Clay Lacey were friends who would go on to set world records in aviation. Clay Lacey is alive and very much kicking...if you are an aviation geek, I would recommend that you study up on his career. |
| The rocket powered motorcycle that was built for the Montreal jump...the story of the bike builder is here...http://the-rocketman.com/human-fly.html |
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