Air Zero G flights program
The Zero G flight with Novespace takes place over the course of one day, departing from Bordeaux-Mérignac or Le Bourget in France, and other airports in Europe. The program: hour by hour
Day D-1
Day before the flight
You are strongly advised to arrive the day before your flight. If you arrive early in the morning, you risk being delayed and not being able to fly (the briefing session is mandatory).
Moreover, the evening before the flight, Novespace organizes an informal meeting to meet the Air Zero G team, including your instructor, the pilots, and the astronaut Jean-François Clervoy. Although optional, this informal meeting is a chance to get to know the other members of your team, and of course, to ask your instructor any questions you may have about the flight!
For those who wish, a shuttle will take you the day of the flight from the Mérignac hotel zone to Novespace at 7:30am. Please let us know in advance if you want to take this mean of transport.
Day of the flight
8:00 am: arrival at meeting point
The meeting is held on Novespace’s premises at Bordeaux Mérignac airport (France) or in the Business Aviation Terminal for flights departing from Le Bourget (Paris, France).
You are greeted by the Air Zero G team and kitted out with your flight equipment:
- Flight suit
- Cap
- Socks
Passengers are then divided into groups of 10, each with the inspiring name of a planet or satellite – Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Moon – and introduced to the group’s instructor, who will accompany you throughout the day.
8:30 am: start of briefing
The speakers introduce you to parabolic flights (in French and/or English depending on the nationality of the people in the room), how they work, and the instructions you need to follow to make the most of your flight and this extraordinary experience.
Astronaut Jean-François Clervoy will do his best to be present and to conduct this briefing in person.
9:30 - 10:00 am: final instructions
Pre-boarding group photo in front of the Airbus A310 Zero G. You can feel the excitement mounting!
9:45 am: final instructions on board the aircraft
Talk by your instructor on the weightlessness zone and points not covered in the briefing to make sure you get the best out of your Zero G flight.
10:00 am: aircraft doors closed, flight preparation, takeoff
Passengers take their seats and watch the standard onboard safety demonstration before the aircraft climbs to the parabolic flight zone.
10:45: weightlessness!
The big moment has arrived. Head to the weightlessness area of the cabin with the other members of your group and the instructor. For one hour, the pilots make a series of parabolas with breaks in between.
Discover weightlessness and martian and lunar gravity – a total of fifteen parabolas – supervised by your instructor.
Memorable activities and experiences impossible on Earth are also organized during the flight. Do one-arm push-ups on Mars. Under lunar gravity conditions, lift a fellow passenger – any passenger! – and take leaps over the surface of the Moon like an Apollo astronaut.
Under gravity-free conditions you will:
- Float peacefully through the cabin
- Make funny and surprising figures with your team
- Observe globes of water as they levitate majestically before you
- Fly like Superman
- Sit or walk on the cabin ceiling!
11:45 am:
return to planet Earth
After the final parabola, passengers return to their seats for the descent and landing.
12:15 pm: landing and disembarkation
Weather permitting, enjoy a glass of Champagne next to the aircraft and chat about your experience. Laughter guaranteed!
1:00 pm: light lunch with the Air Zero G team
This is a chance to come down gently from your emotional high! Projection of the first photos of your flight onto a screen.
2:00 pm: diploma ceremony and talk by Jean-François Clervoy
Presentation of an official Air Zero G Weightless Flyer diploma to prove that you’ve taken a gravity-free flight. Team photos.
2:30 pm: talk by Jean-François Clervoy
Interactive talk by the ESA astronaut and President of Novespace on his three space flights.
4:00 pm: end of a memorable day
A USB stick is provided to all passengers with the first photos and videos of their flight.
4:15 pm: shuttle departure
The shuttle will take you back to the departure terminal of Bordeaux Mérignac airport or in the Mérignac hotel area.
