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> If the balloon malfunctions, they can feel weightlessness until they reach terminal velocity

Until they start decelerating, which is immediately. They’ll also feel it fairly rapidly, I think.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced-gravity_aircraft#Opera... (emphasis added):

“The sensation of weightlessness is achieved by reducing thrust and lowering the nose to maintain a neutral, or "zero lift", configuration such that the aircraft follows a ballistic trajectory, with engine thrust exactly compensating for drag



True. Air resistance is always there, although negligible in the first few seconds.




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