Diary - That floating sensation

9th October 2009, 1:00am

Teachers in New Mexico were willing to go green for science, but not in the environmentally friendly way. Instead, they boarded the G-Force One - nicknamed “The Vomit Comet” - a specially designed aircraft that creates periods of weightlessness. Unusually for new flyers, the teachers exceeded expectations and managed to keep down their lunch.

“It was amazing,” said Tracie Mikesell, once she was back on solid ground. “All of a sudden you just pop up like a cork. It was strange getting used to that. You had to fight your way down from the ceiling.”

The teachers took part in a number of workshops and developed experiments during the flight itself. They will now return to class and share their zero-gravity experience with pupils, to raise interest in maths and Newtonian physics.