Anti-gravity
Posted by hold-my-gimbal@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 33 comments
The Zero-G 727 (N794AJ, Everts Air Cargo dba Zero-G) lifting off from LaGuardia airport on a rainy Saturday, 4/26/2025
One of the few remaining 727s in active service, modified for parabolic flights simulating a zero-gravity environment
Nikon D7500 / Nikkor 200-500 f5.6e
Aggressive-Hawk9186@reddit
I was shocked when I learned how they fly this. One pilot for each axis, standard alarms, so it's blares the alarms every time they fly. Crazy ass pilots
TessaFractal@reddit
I can only imagine they'd use the alarms as guidance:
"pitch down till you hear the GPWS panic, then pull up till you get a stall warning, then repeat."
FZ_Milkshake@reddit
smartass mode engaged: you would not get a stall warning (or a stall) at 0g.
FZ_Milkshake@reddit
I think this aircraft is usually flown "normally", but Novespace in Europe does it exactly like you said. Right side is pitch only (they have a yoke attachment that is freely rotating), left is roll and jump seat does the throttles.
Standard profile (for Novespace) is antry at 6000m @ 820kph, about 1.8-2g pull up to 50°, 22 seconds of microgravity with peak at 8500m and 380kph, pull out a 42° nose low and we've recorded up to 2.2g.
zer0toto@reddit
(Micro gravity would happen when they put the nose down all the way until they pull up, but yeah)
FZ_Milkshake@reddit
Very common misconception, but microgravity happens as long as the flight path follows the path of a thrown ball (in vacuum) i.e. a parabola, or more accurate a sectional orbit. In this case from injection at +50° to -42°.
https://www.airzerog.com/the-airbus-a310-zero-g/
zer0toto@reddit
Yeah… I see where my mistake is, and why your comment was confusing (to me)
you have to follow a ballistic trajectory so while you are pushing toward the sky you can’t really be in a ballistic trajectory. The schematics show precisely that, microgravity happen exactly when they stop pulling back (50°) and start lowering the nose, until they stop lowering the nose and start pulling back. In the meantime they use throttle to compensate for friction.
jkmhawk@reddit
I think you misunderstand what parabolic means.
ByteSizedGenius@reddit
What the heck happens if one of them is incapacitated?
philbert247@reddit
What the fuck?
Cyranoreddit@reddit
Having been lucky enough to try the Zero-G 727 and the Novespace A300 (before they upgraded to the 310), I must say the experience in the Airbus is much, much better. Not only because of the wide body but also because of the quality of the microgravity phases (more consistent, less jitter, and a tiny bit longer).
In any case, it's an experience I definitely recommend if you have the chance. I am an aerobatic pilot and skydiver... this is a whole different sensation.
FZ_Milkshake@reddit
Don't know if they already did it with the A300, but they have slightly extended their profile. Instead of 47° they now pitch up to 50°, to get another second out of it. Officially it's now 22s, we've measured between 21.5 and just under 23s and yeah, there is nothing quite like it.
lockheedmartin3@reddit
Love seeing 727s fly
invertedspheres@reddit
CAN'T HEAR YOU
howtodragyourtrainin@reddit
What's a guy got to do to get a ride on a 727 these days? Slap an Aerosucre sticker on a german shepherd crate and bark?
FenPhen@reddit
Pay $8,900 + tax and book more than 60 days in advance: https://www.gozerog.com/flight-schedule
skickin301@reddit
I guess that’s staying firmly on my bucket list.
TalkinboutBoomhauer@reddit
I can't recall another wide body that frequents LGA. Does this still fly in and out?
stuck_inmissouri@reddit
That’s because it isn’t a widebody.
I’ve personally seen a 767 there, and back in the day L1011s and Dc-10s would go to lga.
alphagusta@reddit
There's really something about giving old birds winglets that just makes them look so modern again
njsullyalex@reddit
Combined with a gorgeous livery
Cerarai@reddit
Yeah damn the blue looks awesome
MildMockery@reddit
If any airplane can handle this kind of flying, it's the 727.
Taptrick@reddit
Zero-G would be the correct term. “Anti-gravity” is some science fiction concept.
Lrrr81@reddit
So here's a question: if the aircraft is maneuvering such that its occupants aren't experiencing the normal effects of gravity, that must mean the fuel, engine oil, and hydraulic oil aren't being pulled toward their pickups at the bottom of the tanks. How is that handled?
And I won't even ask about the lav... ;\^)
FZ_Milkshake@reddit
Surprisingly not, (at least for the ESA A310), the microgravity portion of the parabola is flown at idle thrust and just 22 seconds long, that seems to keep the engines happy, but yeah the lav is completely inop.
hold-my-gimbal@reddit (OP)
not sure about this plane in particular, but I know blue angels F18s have fuel system modifications that let them fly inverted for longer than a factory F18
I imagine similar has been done here
SignalCharlie@reddit
BTW, the 727 was an absolute blast to fly !
njsullyalex@reddit
In this case literally, it looks like it’s blasting off like a rocket!
njsullyalex@reddit
The 727 is still one of the sleekest looking machines in the sky, change my mind
Rocket2271@reddit
Nickname: vomit comet
m149@reddit
Seeing this photo just made me have a pang of nostalgia.
OsawmaBeanLaggin@reddit
The color palette looks sooo good and the dark gloomy rainy weather adds to it