There are only so many gifts out there you can give someone before you run the gamut on ordinary. Shoes, jewelry, fragrances, gift certificates, etc – it’s all been done to death and then some. If you’re looking to get someone a truly unforgettable gift, even if it’s for yourself, then a zero gravity flight will definitely stand out as extraordinary.

A zero gravity flight doesn’t hold much mystery. You’ll be getting exactly what it sounds like – a zero gravity experience. With the Zero G experience flight offered in Russia, you’ll be carried high up into the clouds via a jumbo jet and then begin a free fall where you will experience weightlessness.

Without the restrictions of gravity, you’ll be free to literally float around the large cabin of the plane. It’s like taking a space flight, minus the scenery and 99% of the risks associated with space travel, and you’ll experience the weightlessness for a few moments at a time. After the plane reaches a certain altitude, it will then climb back up and drop again.

The Zero G flight is a part of the Real Cosmonaut Training Program. However, if you only want the flight, there are packages available that will skip over the inclusive training and simply allow you to learn to deal with your flight.

You’ll be flying in a top-of-the-line Russian aircraft – the Ilyushin 76 MDK, which is the world’s largest parabola aircraft and was built specifically for the Zero G flights offered with the program. The design of the plane can easily handle the 18,000 feet of altitude and the decline when the pilot literally lets off the throttle and allows the plane to drift back to earth.

Despite what you might think of such a flight, the Zero G experience is just as safe as any other commercial flight you could take. Adding to that, you will be assisted by professional flight instructors - real Russian Cosmonauts - along your journey and while you’re experiencing weightlessness.

Taking the Zero G dive 10 times for 25 seconds each means you’ll enjoy over 4 minutes of total weightlessness on this trip, plus you’ll learn a lot about the Cosmonaut program and flight in general. Costs for this flight will vary depending on what you purchase with it. The entire package will cost more than simply the flight, obviously.

If you’re purchasing this package as the ultimate gift for someone, you should be sure that you know about any conditions they may have. A heart condition, inner ear problems, claustrophobia, or even something as simple as a fear of heights, can possibly end up in disaster with an onboard panic attack.

Hundreds of these flights take off every year from Russia alone, and thousands around the globe. Thus far, Zero G flights have proven to be safer than parachuting and other plane-related adventures.