- I had the opportunity to do one of
the most amazing things a person can do - Experience weightlessness
just like an orbiting astronaut.
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- I took a flight on G-Force One, a modified
Boeing 727 which flies parabolic flights to give the passengers
the experience of zero gravity. The company that operates the
plane, Zero-G, is the only private company in the U.S. licensed
by the FAA to perform these types of flights.
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- The plane climbs to 32,000 feet, then
dives down to 24,000 feet and as you crest the top of the arc,
you free fall inside the plane. The interesting part is that
without the wind whizzing past you, you just float as if you
were in space. Each weightless period last for about 20 seconds
and at the bottom of each parabola, you experience a force of
1.8 g's as the plane climbs for the next dive.
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- Actually experiencing this is incredible.
You can fly like Superman, or just float in the air. You can
catch candies in your mouth as they float past, or climb up the
walls, across the ceiling and back down again. What a unique
experience. I was even tossed around like a beach ball at one
point.
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- I may never get to travel to space,
but now I know what it feels like, at least a little bit. ....And
yes, I did get sick, but it was only towards the end of the flight,
so it wasn't too bad. The experience was completely worth the
discomfort.
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