A video of passengers floating out of their seats during a moment of "zero gravity," a state of weightlessness, on a flight has gone viral on Instagram.
The clip was posted by John Robert Nelson (@its.pilotjohn), who is a pilot and flying instructor. The video has had 45.3 million views since it was shared on February 7.
The footage shows two people apparently asleep while seated in the back of what appears to be a four-seat aircraft.
The two women in the back don't appear to be wearing seat belts. The pilot is seen smiling as the two passengers, as well as their phones and some objects in a space just behind them, are later seen floating up from the seats. Their heads touch the ceiling of the aircraft as they are shown laughing before they drop back down into their seats.
A caption shared with the post reads: "Follow me if you want to see more people getting floated. Zero gravity is safe and a fun type of thing to do with friends when done correctly :)."
What Is Zero Gravity and How Is It Created?
Zero gravity, also known as microgravity, refers to objects in a state of free fall.
This weightlessness is experienced by astronauts and many mistakenly think gravity, the force that holds us to the ground, doesn't exist in space. However, if an astronaut were to drop an apple in a space station, it would actually fall at the same rate as the astronaut as well as the space station.
"Because they're all falling at the same rate, objects inside of the station appear to float in a state we call 'zero gravity'…or more accurately microgravity," the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says.
An object in free fall drops "faster and faster, accelerating with exactly the acceleration due to gravity," NASA explains.
Zero gravity conditions in a plane can be created by flying the aircraft in a parabolic arc, pointing the nose of the plane upward and later pointing it downward after reaching a certain altitude.
Passengers experience zero gravity for around 20 seconds when the plane is in the central peak portion of the parabola formed by the aircraft's path.
'So Cool' vs. 'Not a Funny Way To Be Woken Up'
Some users on Instagram expressed concerns about the latest viral clip, claiming the pilot may have been breaking government air safety regulations.
In another video, Nelson addressed these concerns.
Regarding regulations around "careless or reckless operation" of aircraft, Nelson said: "I don't think you can watch this video and think that I'm endangering somebody's life. They're simply floating up, floating down, I'm not overstressing the aircraft," noting that the passengers they would be "slamming the ceiling," if he were overstressing the plane.
Addressing rules around seat belts, Nelson said "the seat belts are only required for taxiing, take-off and landing," noting that he is wearing his seat belt to be sure he stays in control while maneuvering the plane.
"The reason they're able to have fun in the back is because they know I'm being safe about it...making sure we have plenty of altitude and that there's no traffic around us..." he said.
The latest clip has sparked debate among users on Instagram, with several amused by the footage.
"So cool!" user bassman363 wrote, while malakspoparazzi said: "Omg thats soooo FUN."
User zuluyankee_ noted: "Reverse G force wake up feature."
Another user, aubie_lyn, said: "I LOVE THIS so wholesome."
Others didn't find it as funny, such fred_cooks_with_wood who said: "I've never experienced a stall especially not in the back seat but I feel like it's not a funny way to be woken up. Although I'm not sure I could fall asleep in a plane."
User grant22ryan said it was: "So dangerous."
"Incredibly stupid thing to do," szablyajanos noted.
User thereflex70 asked: "Why was I nervous that glass panel wasn't secured?"
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via Instagram. This video has not been independently verified.
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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