Daring Stuntman Outshining Evel Knievel's Adventures, Known as The Human Fly
In the world of daredevil stunts, few names are as iconic as Evel Knievel. However, another Canadian stuntman, Rick Rojatt, also made a name for himself in the 1970s, albeit with a more tragic ending. Known as The Human Fly, Rojatt attempted to surpass Knievel's distance records with a rocket-powered Harley, a creation built by Ky Michaelson, the man behind the Rocketman.
Rojatt's journey began in the mid-'70s when he joined forces with two sausage-makers in Montreal with the ambitious goal of breaking Knievel's record. His alter ego, The Human Fly, was born, and he donned head-to-toe red spandex with a silver sequined face mask.
In June 1976, The Human Fly made his stunt debut, standing on the roof of a DC-8 jet as it flew low over the Mojave Desert. His fame grew, and he was profiled in People magazine, appeared on "That's Incredible", and was interviewed on the CBC's "90 Minutes Live".
Rojatt's most infamous stunt came in 1977 when he attempted to jump 26 buses, a record set by Knievel. The plan was simple: Rojatt would activate the rocket, head up the ramp at full throttle, and sail across the chasm to the landing platform. However, the stunt was a disaster from the start due to changes in ramp specifications and lack of testing.
The rocket-powered motorcycle, powered by 1,500-pound (680-kilogram) thrust hydrogen-peroxide rockets, was a marvel of engineering. At full power, it could do "well over 300 mph in the 1⁄4 mile." Unfortunately, Rojatt did not follow Michaelson's instructions on how to operate the motorcycle, leading to a crash around bus 19. The bike flipped over and slid over several bus roofs before smashing into the landing platform.
Rojatt survived the crash, but he never appeared in public again after the incident. A stranger claiming to represent Rojatt visited Michaelson's shop after the incident, but Michaelson is unsure if the stranger was actually Rojatt. Two years after his disappearance, his partners claimed he was trading stunt work for a singing career and was unavailable for comment.
The mystery surrounding Rojatt's past and disappearance remains. Michaelson believes something shady happened regarding the stunt and mentions a possible life-insurance policy. Despite this, there is no record of Rojatt working in Hollywood, and IMDb states that a movie about him has been in development for years, with a release date of 2017.
Marvel saw potential in Rojatt's story and licensed The Human Fly for a series of comic books, billing him as "The wildest superhero ever, because he's real!" However, the tragic ending to his story casts a shadow over this bold claim. The legacy of The Human Fly serves as a reminder of the dangers and allure of the daredevil life.
