Reduced-gravity aircraft

Reduced-gravity aircraft, sometimes called 'vomit comets', are planes that are specially designed to fly up and down in a parabola shape. This makes it feel as if passengers inside the plane can experience a few moments of weightlessness, where it feels like they are floating in the air. The plane climbs to the very top of its parabola flight path and then descends, in order to create the sensation of weightlessness - like going on a roller coaster and feeling like you're floating in your seat! This can be useful for teaching people about the effects of weightlessness in space, and for conducting experiments in a reduced gravity environment.