Neo's Wish to be Weightless

Not many people in this world can say they have experienced what it’s like to be truly and utterly weightless. 9-year-old Neo can, and he can attest that there is nothing on Earth quite like it. Neo has Hodgkin Lymphoma, which may have impaired certain aspects of his life, but has never debilitated his passion for science (or his fascination with Bill Nye). He channeled this passion into creating his wish and when it came time for his wish reveal, he received a space-themed celebration and a poster that read: “Congrats Neo! It’s your time to fly.” With a wish to be weightless, Neo got to experience what it is like to float in space and fly around like a superhero, with a little help from a zero gravity plane.   

It was March 11, 2017. The day started out like any other… if ‘any other day’ starts with being picked up in a limousine. Neo arrived in Long Beach and was immediately given a safety briefing. He and his family met the Zero-G coaches and crew, who Neo’s mother later described as: “amazing, helpful, and very caring.” After a TSA Screening and pre-flight photoshoot, Neo headed to the zero gravity plane, “G-Force One,” in his shining new flight suit. It was time for his ‘wish to be weightless’ to come true.

Flying to an altitude level of about 24,000 feet, G-Force One was ready to give its passengers an experience unlike any other. Using a specially modified Boeing 727 and parabolic arcs, a weightless environment was created aboard and Neo’s and his mother’s bodies were automatically raised off the floor. With little to no effort, they got to float like astronauts, flip, and soar. Post-flight, Neo got the chance to visit the flight deck and meet the specially-trained pilots. “I have no words to describe the flight experience,” says Neo’s mom. “It blew our minds. We had an incredible experience and Neo loved every minute of it. Neo is still walking around and says he feels the Zero G.”

None of this could have been possible without Zero G Corporation, a space entertainment and tourism company launched in 2004. Their mission is to make the excitement and adventures of space accessible to the public and are able to create a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the help of an incredible crew.

Aboard G-Force One, Neo got to experience what it felt like to have nothing hold him back, and we hope this feeling continues into every facet of his life, gravity plane or not.