Parabolic Flight / Experience

Parabolic flights allow the simulation of microgravity. These parabolic maneuvers performed by specially modified commercial jet aircrafts give the sensation of free fall for a short period of time recreating weightlessness conditions. During the rising wave obtained by the aircraft, the engine thrust is controlled in order to create a voluntary stall. The aircraft enters a free fall when it reaches the top of the wave toward the descending portion of the wave. We reach microgravity conditions for approximately 15 to 20 seconds. We can also reach near perfect micro-gravity conditions for a period of 5 to 8 seconds.

In fact, loosely speaking, we can say the aircraft ‘’lets itself fall’’. All loose objects within the aircraft false as well at the same velocity. (it is the result of the Principle of Equivalence…): subsequently, loose objects will ‘’float’’ in the aircraft.

On Earth, an object has weight because it is affected by the attraction of the Earth which is very massive (all objects are attracted to each other depending of their mass). The object is submitted to a 1 G acceleration. For example, we set this such object on a scale and it shows a weight of 1 kg. If this same object is submitted to an acceleration of 2 G’s, this will result into the object getting twice the equivalent of its original acceleration, thus weighing 2 kg. If we ‘’float’’, it means we are in zero gravity and this scale will indicate zero kg.
 
To reach a point of weightlessness, the aircraft must follow a trajectory as shown beside.