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Mon, Feb 07, 2005

NFL Players Became Astronauts For A Day

Model Kim Alexis; WUSA's Heather Mitts; and NFL's Feeley (Miami Dolphins), Farmer Take a Trip to Weightlessness During Pre-Super Bowl Flight in Jacksonville With Diet Rite And Zero-G --- And ANN Was on Board!

ANN Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell had a REALLY tough gig this past weekend as he was on board (as usual) for the latest flight of Zero G Corporation's "G Force One."

This Saturday, February 5, 2005, WUSA's Philadelphia Charge's Heather Mitts; Miami Dolphins Quarterback A.J. Feeley; and NFL free agent Danny Farmer took up the Go For Zero challenge as the first professional athletes to test their might in zero gravity by taking The ZERO-G Experience. For the first time in professional sports, these NFL players dropped their weight down to zero, performed mid-air flips and spins, soared like Superman, and attempted a friendly scrimmage in conditions that mimic those of Mars or the Moon. The athletes were joined by Supermodel Kim Alexis and were photographed  by ANN's Jim Campbell who is becoming one of the most experienced Zero G photographers on (or off) the world.

The flight took off from Jacksonville International Airport's private jet facility at 10:45am, and touched down at approximately 12:20pm. Highlights of the flight included mid-air tackles, interceptions and passes, as well as plenty of flips and spins.

After the flight, which ran 12 parabolic flight patterns in just under 90 minutes, athletic couple Feeley and Mitts said, "Flying on the ZERO-G/Diet Rite weightless flight was almost as much fun as winning the Olympic Gold Medal," said Mitts. "ZERO-G is definitely the hottest ticket in South Florida," added Feeley.

Said Alexis, "The Go For Zero flight was an amazing experience - I can't wait to try it again! I strutted poses that I could never do on a runway."

Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G), which regularly operated out of Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, is the first and only FAA-approved weightless flight experience, and Diet Rite, turned the brawn and brute of some of the NFL's top players into astronauts for a day by taking them on a trip to weightlessness. As the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles counted down to Super Bowl XXXIX, these NFL players took a step into history in a manner very few have had the privilege to do, and became the first professional athletes to experience what was once only available to astronauts training for a trip into space.

"We are delighted that A.J. Feeley, Danny Farmer, Heather Mitts and Kim Alexis joined us in Go For Zero," said Peter Diamandis, CEO and Cofounder of Zero Gravity Corporation. "ZERO-G's mission is to bring the excitement and adventure of space exploration to the general public in a safe, fun and affordable way. Whether you are a 15-year-old aspiring athlete, or a 300-plus pound linebacker, everyone now has the opportunity to experience the marvel of weightless flight and the thrill of zero."

The ZERO-G Experience is a full-day program led by veteran NASA administrators and astronauts. Each Flyer (the customer) experiences Martian (1/3 g), Lunar (1/6 g) and zero-gravity conditions inside a specially modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft, known as G-FORCE ONE, the official plane of ZERO-G. G-FORCE ONE flies in a parabolic flight pattern, similar to a 10,000-foot "roller coaster" at between 22,000 and 32,000 feet (altitude) in the air. The parabolic flight patterns temporarily counteract Earth's gravity, thereby creating prolonged weightlessness giving flyers the opportunity to experience what it feels like to float in space.

The ZERO-G Experience consisted of a pre-flight training and briefing program, beginning at the Courtyard Jacksonville Airport Northeast, followed by the weightless flight, which took place out of Signature Flight Support at Jacksonville International Airport.

FMI: www.nogravity.com, www.dietrite.com, www.thespacestore.com/zerogstore.html

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