Great Alne couple grab chance to fly weightless over Atlantic
IT wasn’t quite a star trek but a couple of fans of outer space boldly went in search of a new experience, after heeding the advice of one of their heroes.
Stephen Walsh (67) and partner Patricia Hackett (79) travelled to France to take part in an anti-gravity flight over the Atlantic, typically used for astronauts in training.
The idea came after going to a book signing by Major Chris Hadfield, of the International Space Station, where he said: “If you ever get the chance to experience weightlessness – grab it.”
A month later they flew to Bordeaux, the home of the Novespace airZeroG, to board a converted Airbus 310 usually used by the European Space Agency for research and astronaut training.
Pat and Stephen got to experience the full effects of zero-gravity in the specially-padded cabin.
They were joined on their voyage by French astronaut and Novespace chairman Jean-Francois Clervoy, a three-time space shuttle crew member.
The couple are both residents at Great Alne Park retirement village, where Stephen runs a monthly group called What’s Up.
These sessions focus on planets, comets, constellations and deeper questions such as ‘Are we alone in the Universe?’.
He said: ‘’I subscribe to the idea of ‘staying young as we grow older’ with the aim of independent living.
“With the support of the village team and a flourishing community, we and our fellow residents enjoy a great quality of life in a stimulating environment.”
Six flights similar to the one the couple took are scheduled for this year. Four are already fully booked and have a price of 6,900 euros.
