MY EXPERIENCE ABOARD THE U.S.’S ONLY ZERO-GRAVITY APPROVED AIRCRAFT
I have to confess: pretty much every adrenaline-seeking experience available on Earth was ruined for me on Saturday, September 5, 2020. Nothing will ever compare. Nothing.
Flying with the incredible team at ZeroG was such an adrenaline rush that while driving home speaking to my greatest mentor and friend (my dad!), I had to let him go so I could focus on the road because I was starting to experience the endorphin “downer” from the float I experienced only hours before.
I have Matt Gohd, CEO of Zero-G, to thank for re-setting the height of my adventure bar. I had the opportunity to fly aboard the United States’ only zero-gravity flight approved Part 121 airline (for my non-airline readers, Part 121 refers to the U.S. Federal Regulations applicable to commercial airlines of the United, Delta, and Southwest companies we’re all familiar with) and only one of three in the entire world.
G-Force One, as Zero-G’s Boeing 727 is fondly called, is specifically modified to accommodate flight maneuvers required to create a zero-G (zero gravity) environment in the cabin. The cabin is specially equipped with padding and handholds to protect flyers and assist the cabin crew in giving us the best flight experience possible.
The zero-gravity flight experience is created by highly skilled pilots flying a series of parabolas. A parabola is an inverted u-shaped curve. In the case of G Force One, one side of the parabola begins at a lower altitude. The pilots climb the aircraft to a higher altitude, then lower the nose of the aircraft to create the other side of the parabola by descending back down to the starting altitude. It’s during the lowering of the nose at the top of the parabola and subsequent descent that we in the back get to float like astronauts in space for about 20 seconds!
Zero-G has experiential opportunities to create once in a lifetime experiences for thrill-seekers and bucket-list item check-offs for adventurers like me. But the two aspects of its business that excite me the most are research and education. The Zero-G platform provides a unique environment for scientists to test their experiments in zero as well as Lunar and Martian gravity. Zero-G also has unique Weightless Classroom and Weightless Workshop classes for educators.
The possibilities are endless for Zero-G. I look forward to seeing how this company will continue to positively impact our world. In the meantime, I highly encourage you to check out their website for more details on their flights and schedule. Your flight will be one you’ll NEVER forget!
