Aviation Pioneer Burt Rutan Flies Weightless for the First Time

yahoo.com/prnews: Aviation Pioneer and SpaceShip One Designer Burt Rutan boarded G-Force One, Zero Gravity Corporation’s (ZERO-G®) Weightless 727-200 aircraft, at Mercury Air Centers in Burbank, Calif. on Thursday to experience his first weightless flight.

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“‘The ZERO-G Experience’ was ten times better than I expected,” said Rutan. “I highly recommend it for those who want to experience a suborbital flight. It was really amazing, unbelievably cool!”

Rutan experienced one Martian, followed by one Lunar and then 27 zero-g parabolas.

Rutan is also the leading contender for the X-PRIZE competition in which his SpaceShip One flew to a 100km altitude on June 21 in the qualifying flight.

Peter Diamandis, founder, chairman, and CEO, Zero Gravity Corporation said, “I am very proud to be able to have taken Rutan on his first trip to weightlessness. Now he is ready for his suborbital flight.”

About Zero Gravity Corporation

Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G®, http://www.nogravity.com) is a privately held space entertainment and tourism company whose mission is to make the excitement and adventure of space accessible to the public. ZERO-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of Weightless Flight, termed The ZERO-G Experience(TM), which includes a full-day program led by a veteran astronaut in which a Flyer (the customer) experiences Martian, Lunar and Zero Gravity conditions. The ZERO-G Experience is conducted aboard G-Force One — a specially modified, FAA-approved Boeing 727-200 aircraft. ZERO-G serves the general public (age 15 and over), as well as the entertainment and film industries, corporate and incentive market, non-profit research and education sectors, and government. ZERO-G’s aircraft partner is Amerijet International, Inc., the Fort Lauderdale-based cargo transportation and logistics provider. Zero Gravity Corporation is headquartered in Dania Beach, Florida. Its flight operations are conducted out of Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport. Visit http://www.nogravity.com or call (888) NO-GRAVITY (664-7284) for more information.