Extreme Adventure: A Zero G Vacation

Extreme Adventure: A Zero G Vacation

Some call it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, or as close as you can get to flying like Superman. Then again, I know some that might think it better described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lose your lunch in front of 10 complete strangers. Whatever your position, there's no denying that the thought of sailing weightless through the air is an intense way to spend your next vacation.

This experience of zero gravity is achieved the only way possible without actually going to space (though let's hope that becomes a vacation option sooner rather than later). Parabolic flight as it's known, is the same method NASA has used to train its astronauts for the last 45 years, as well as the same way Tom Hanks and crew floated in Apollo 13.

Parabolic flight is achieved aboard ZERO-G's Boeing 727 aircraft named G-FORCE ONE. Weightlessness is achieved by flying G-FORCE ONE through a parabolic flight maneuver. Specially trained pilots fly these maneuvers between approximately 24,000 and 34,000 feet altitude, with each parabola taking 10 miles of airspace to perform and lasting approximately one minute from start to finish.

The maneuver is somewhat like a roller coaster in that the plane is initially pulled up to 45 degrees "nose high." Next the plane is "pushed over" the top to reach the zero-gravity segment of the parabolas. For the next 25-30 seconds, everything in the plane is weightless. At approximately 30 degrees "nose low," a gentle pull-out is started which allows the participants to stabilize on the aircraft floor. Finally, the g-force is increased smoothly to about 1.8 g's until the aircraft reaches a flight altitude of 24,000 feet, where the maneuver is then repeated.

The weightlessness experienced by everyone inside the airplane is actually equivalent to the type of "free fall" you experience when sky diving. In this case, however, the body of the aircraft surrounds you and protects you from the on-rushing wind. At the end of the free fall period, the aircraft also scoops you up and carries you back up to the top of the arc to begin the free fall process again.

Now for the pseudo-dangerous note; all passengers must sign a medical history form that includes a series of questions pertaining to certain medical conditions. If you do have any of the indicated conditions, such as heart or back problems, you have to obtain a sign-off from your doctor.

Individual pricing starts at around $5,000 for the parabolic flight only; airfare and accommodations still up to you. This is definitely not a trip for the whole family, lest that family has cash to burn, but how can you let that hold you back from the spectacular insanity of an adventure like this?