ELI5- Can someone the physics behind Zero-G flights (Parabolic flight) ?
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A lesson on inertia: Inertia is an objects tendency to stay at rest or stay in motion within it’s current trajectory unless acted upon by another force (Newtons first law). Every object has inertia, even objects within objects. What we experience in 0-G is simply falling.
Picture yourself on a roller coaster. The direction and inertia of the train is guided by the track. Your direction and inertia is guided by the train with some wiggle room from the restraints. When you go up a hill at speed, you feel the sensation of being pressed into your seat. These are positive Gs, and it’s caused by your direction being altered. Your body naturally wants to continue forward and down, but the train pushes up against you, causing those g forces. When you’re at the mid point of the incline, things will feel normal as your inertia is now matching (or at least close to) that of the train: up and forward. Until you crest the hill, your inertia is still directing you up and forward, but the train is going down. This creates negative G’s and gives the sensation of flying out of your seat – which you would if you weren’t restrained. That’s essentially how a parabolic flight works: 0G is achieved by the plane falling. Unrestrained in the plane, you fall as well and this creates the sensation of weightlessness. Because you’re not restrained in the plane, you can float around a bit until the plane needs to level out.
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