CouchFreaks do the inverted boogie at FD

Specialized jumps add to the thrills for skydivers By JOSH SANDIN, Messenger staff writer

 

Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Pilot Mark Gadert, of Springfield, Ill., goes over preflight preparations with Matt Shroyer, of Detroit Lakes, Minn., at right, before taking Shroyer up so he could skydive from the craft at the CouchFreaks DollarDaze Boogie Saturday morning at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport.

Judging by the name — CouchFreaks DollarDaze Boogie — a person could only imagine the number of unique people and events going on at the Fort Dodge Regional Airport.

Hundreds of self-proclaimed adrenaline junkies gather to fulfill their need to jump out of a moving airplane at roughly 3,000 feet.

There is one jump that gives even the most-seasoned skydivers serious goose bumps and butterflies in their stomachs — the inverted exit.

For this jump, there is only one man to see — Mark Gadert — who said he is the only person in the world who can legally allow divers to leave the plane while it is upside down.

‘‘This is a high-end ride,’’ said Gadert. ‘‘They brought me in as a specialty ride. It’s a big thrill ride.’’

Just like the jump, the plane is unique as well. Gadert flies a lightweight biplane made from steel tubing and is covered with fabric that has been painted for extra strength to allow for the plane to maneuver. The biplane allows for more than just an abnormal jump.

Gadert will take jumpers on a heart-pounding thrill ride before the jump even takes place, performing maneuvers with names like barrel roll, loop, Cuban and reverse Cubans.

In a single ride, both pilot and jumper will experience gravity forces six times stronger than normal and also experience negative gravity forces, or the feeling of being weightless.

For even the most experienced jumpers, the ride is a more thrilling than the jump.

‘‘My heart was pumping and I was holding on to my seat belt for my life, I was so scared,’’ said veteran jumper Jeff Meade of his ride with Gadert. ‘‘The ride was so intense that I couldn’t calm down until I finally jumped from the plane.’’

If a rider survives the ride before the jump, then they must actually jump. The unique jump requires the rider to stand up and turn around in his or her seat to face the back of the plane.

The rider then grabs onto a ‘‘T’’ bar that is mounted onto the wing in front of them. After the rider is secure, Gadert, who is seated in the rear of the plane, flips the plane upside down and waits for the rider to let go.

‘‘(Gadert) waves back at you before you let go,’’ said Meade.

Gadert also has a camera mounted to the back of his plane and snaps a picture of the rider before the jump.

Matt Shroyer, who has made 227 jumps, was looking for the next thrill Saturday morning as he wandered over to Gadert’s biplane.

‘‘It’s another jump to put in my book,’’ said Shroyer, referring to the log that most jumpers keep to chronicle their jumps. ‘‘This is my first biplane jump.’’

Shroyer has been in the biplane before for the acrobatic ride, but was back this time to do the actual jump.

After the jump Shroyer was riding an adrenaline high when he hit the ground.

He said that he intends to do the jump again in the future. Soon, Shroyer also plans to do a jump from a hot air balloon.

Meade attributes the excitement of the ride to Gadert’s skill as a pilot.

‘‘(Gadert) is an excellent pilot,’’ said Meade. ‘‘He knows how to scare ya.’’

Gadert said that he will do around 50 runs this weekend. In total, he has done seven events like the CouchFreak Boogie this year. He still has a couple more to do this summer to give jumpers like Meade their adrenaline fix.

‘‘Its a ride that’s so intense,’’ said Meade. ‘‘It’s terrifying. I highly recommend it.’’