Aviation Blog Post 5: The Zero G Experience

Zero G: The Weightless Experience

            Flying without planes, helicopters, or any other flying machinery is something we all dream about and watch in superhero fantasies. However, this dream can become somewhat of a reality for a short period of time at the Zero G Experience, where individuals can experience complete weightlessness.

            How does this Zero G plane let passengers experience weightlessness? After reaching a specific height, the plane will travel upwards at a 45 degree angle, then after enough altitude has been climbed, it will begin to descend in a parabolic motion, similar to that of a semicircle. During the trip up, passengers will feel two times the force normal gravity pulling on them. This is because of the speed of the plane and because it is moving away from Earth. On the way down, passengers will experience zero gravity because the plane is “falling” towards Earth. The descents can also be modified to where instead of zero gravity, passengers can instead experience one-sixth or one-third of their weight, which is similar to being on another planet or on the moon, respectively.

 

            Each trip costs about $5000 and only lasts for a few minutes. The plane will travel through 12-15 parabolas, and the time for each zero gravity period lasts about 20-30 seconds. This definitely sounds like something very unique and fun to experience. The company even offers weightless weddings to couples very passionate about their experiencing zero gravity!

Reference:

[1] “How it Works.” Zero G The Weightless Experience. Zero Gravity Corporation. 2008. Web. Mar 7 2014.