In late 2021, Brenda and I booked a Zero Gravity flight through a company called (appropriately enough) the Zero Gravity Corporation (https://www.gozerog.com/). These flights are done on a Boeing 727, which was originally used to train NASA astronauts. Here's a description of the flight from the Zero Gravity Corporation website
G-FORCE ONE flies in FAA-designated airspace blocks approximately 100 miles long and ten miles wide. The process starts with the aircraft flying level with the horizon at an altitude of 24,000 feet. The pilots then gradually increase the angle of the aircraft to about 45° relative to the horizon until reaching an altitude of 32,000 feet. During this phase, passengers feel the pull of 1.8 Gs. Next, the plane pushes over the top of the parabolic arc and the zero-gravity phase begins. For the next 20-30 seconds, everything in the plane is weightless. Finally, the plane gently pulls out of the maneuver, allowing flyers to gradually return to the floor of the aircraft. The maneuver is flown 15 times over the course of the flight, each taking about ten miles of airspace to perform. In addition to zero gravity, flyers aboard G-FORCE ONE experience Lunar gravity (one sixth your weight) and Martian gravity (one third your weight), achieved by flying a wider arc over the top of the parabola. On a typical flight, parabolas are flown in sets of three to five, with short periods of level flight between each set.
We were originally scheduled to take the flight in Miami in December 2021, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to technical difficulties. The next opportunity to take a flight was in April, 2022 in Las Vegas, so we arranged to spend some extra time in Las Vegas, and also drive to Joshua Tree National Park, and to Phoenix and Tucson.
I should note that neither Brenda nor I are gamblers, but there was more than enough in Vegas to keep us entertained.
Next: Days 1 and 2: Around Vegas, Some Gun Play, and a Visit to a Cannabis Store
