Las Vegas Weekly

July 17, 2009 · 12:06 PM

Zero Gravity at McCarran offers out-of-this-world experience

By Robin Leach

Buzz Aldrin in Zero Gravity.

Photo: Kirvin Doak Communications

Do you remember where you were 40 years ago as we sat open-mouthed in awe at the John Glenn and Buzz Aldrin moon landing by Apollo 11? It was one of those moments in history never to be forgotten. Space travel and exploration has since become as acceptable as a monorail ride from MGM to the Convention Center, even though it’s a $25 million ticket to ride with the astronauts!

Now for much, much less, you can have the opportunity -- and memory -- of a lifetime to fly weightless in zero gravity like an astronaut this weekend at our McCarran Airport when Zero Gravity Corp. returns to Las Vegas. Buzz Aldrin, Martha Stewart, Joey Fatone, Tony Hawk, Princess Beatrice, Stephen Hawking, Billy Bush, Burt Rutan, Amy Grant, Miles O’Brien and cast members of The Apprentice and The Biggest Loser are just a few of the VIPs who have experienced the weightless experience.

Photo: Kirvan Doak Communications

Zero Gravity.

I’m reliably told that three high-profile Las Vegas folks have already signed up for the ride tomorrow on the specially modified Boeing 727 aircraft. It’s the first and only FAA-approved weightless flight, and if you miss out this weekend, the plane will return Sept. 19.

The aircraft’s interior is a zero gravity playroom with padded floors and walls and video cameras to record the experience. Guests can fly the length of the cabin, flip like a gymnast, pour water in the air and watch the droplets hover, release a handful of M&Ms and chase them down and enjoy a lot of hang time.

The flights last about two hours, and guests will revel in some 15 weightless experiences, each lasting about 30 seconds. It took 10 years for Zero Gravity to make the plan a reality, and since launching in September 2004, the company has conducted more than 175 weightless flights and flown more than 5,000 at its Florida headquarters. The company makes two visits a year to McCarran.

Photo: Kirvan Doak Communications

Zero Gravity.

When my pal Buzz took the debut flight here, he told me upon landing: “Incredible. Exactly the same feeling we had on the moon mission. It is something you will never forget for the rest of your life, and I encourage everybody to share the sensation.”

This is the identical weightless-flight experience used by NASA to train its astronauts and by Ron Howard and Tom Hanks to film Apollo 13. To book a seat or for more information, go to www.gozerog.com.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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