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For $5,000, company promises 'wild experience' high in the sky
Struggling to lose weight? Here's your chance to feel as light as a feather in the amount of time it takes a plane to reach cruising altitude.A plane owned by a Las Vegas company that lets customers experience the sensation of weightlessness will make a stop at Washington Dulles International Airport March 14.
Customers willing to fork over $4,950 plus tax to Zero Gravity Corp. will be flown in a modified Boeing 727 to a height of 24,000 feet. Then, through a series of maneuvers called parabolic arcs that quickly take the plane to 34,000 feet, customers will begin to float.
The experience lasts about 30 seconds, but the maneuver is repeated 12 to 15 times over about two hours. The technology is used by NASA to ready astronauts for travel into space, according to company spokesman Tom Dietz.
“It's a wild experience,” he said.
Zero Gravity is the only provider of commercial weightless flights approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. Since 2003, 5,000 people have taken part in the company's flights, including some previously from Dulles.
Aside from the opportunity to float in the cabin of a plane, also included in the price is pre-flight training, transportation to and from Dulles, a video of the event and a post-flight party.
The Dulles stop is part of a tour by the company of major markets throughout the country, including Las Vegas; San Jose, Calif.; and Seattle.
“We like to go to markets where we think we'll be well received,” Dietz said.
And despite the recession, Dietz said the high price tag is not deterring interest. The company, Dietz said, recently added a second flight at its Las Vegas appearance to accommodate demand.
To book a spot on the Dulles flight, visit www.gozerog.comm.
Contact the reporter at jjacks@timespapers.com
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