I knew this was going to be an interesting episode when, before I even saw a script, I was being put through a couple of medicals by the folks at the Department of National Defense and the National Research Council. Oddly enough, me being subjected to things that required medical pre-clearance would turn out to be a recurring theme in this show – you’ll have to watch the rest of the season to find out what other potentially life-threatening hijinks I get up to.

Having been judged fit for gravitational abuse, my first mission was to report to DRDC Toronto to experience the human centrifuge. I was originally going to be spun through only once at 5Gs wearing the G-pants and doing my breathing maneuver, but when the medical staff realized I was fit as a proverbial fiddle and, more importantly, game for it, they decided to run me through twice (I went through the same testing that Air Force flight medics are required to pass). In the first spin, the guys that ran the centrifuge told me - with biiiiiig smiles on their faces - that they weren’t going to inflate the G-pants, as they wanted me to get as close as possible to passing out without actually doing so. Thanks guys (kidding aside, the centrifuge guys were absolute sweethearts – they trained me well, looked out for me at every step of the adventure, and they gave me an awesome patch as a reward at the end! I still need a flight suit to sew it on to, though…)

As you no doubt saw, I handled both of the runs without passing out, vomiting, or suffering the unfortunate fate that befell one poor centrifugee, who peed in there. The first run was a very strange feeling – there’s an initial dizziness as the centrifuge gets up to idling speed, then as the G-forces increase, you’re pressed down harder and harder into your seat. Around 3Gs I started to lose visual acuity – imagine watching a tv that suddenly becomes very pixellated, and then those pixels start randomly disappearing. At about 4Gs, the blood was draining from the vessels in the back of my eyes, and was as if a pair of black curtains was closing over my field of vision. It was at this point that I knew G-LOC was no more than a second or two away (the speed at which it comes on is frightening – this was all happening over what felt like only a few very short seconds), and I started the breathing maneuver, which mercifully held the curtains at bay until the centrifuge slowed down.

As you’re slowing down you experience something Brian Fleck warned me about – the Coriolis Effect. You can check out the real formula on Wikipedia if you want, but my version is me + slowing centrifuge = tumbly roly-poly bouncy times. It’s like doing somersaults without actually moving, and it was actually really fun and would probably make a genius amusement park ride.

So, despite a bit of initial trepidation, the human centrifuge turned out to be a hang of a good time. The worst part, by far, was when the DRDC staff was reviewing the video footage of my spins on a massive projection screen and left the tape paused for FAR too long at the precise point my face was contorted into the most profoundly alien expression I've ever seen. And any day when a 7-foot-high goofy face is the worst part of your day isn't a very bad day at all, really.

My reward for the whole blood-draining, loss-of-consciousness-threatening centrifuge adventure was a weightless flight! I went from 600lb to 0lb in the space of a couple of weeks. Best. Diet. Ever. This adventure took place at the NRC offices at the Ottawa airport, using one of their microgravity research planes. It's essentially an old executive jet from the 60s that's been modified into the Leatherman of the airplane world - you can configure the interior in hundreds of ways in order to suit whatever is going on in there. The plane is typically used by NRC and academic researchers who are conducting experiments that require altered gravity environments (by varying the parabolas that they fly, they can simulate the moon, Mars, and even briefly produce negative G-forces) - when we were there, a group from my home university of UBC were conducting a series of studies on something chemistry-related.

Three of our CBC crew went up to do the parabolas - soundman Stuart sat directly across from me and cameraman Richard was next to him, with the camera and tripod secured to the aisle of the aircraft. We flew out over the Gatineau not knowing what was in store - all we knew was that we had four parabolas, each offering up 23 seconds of weightlessness, and director Mitch had essentially given us free reign to do what we wanted - there was no script for the parabolas, and my actions had only been loosely plotted out. In the first parabola, I narrated what was happening from the comfort of my seat and let a few Nerf balls go. In the second parabola, the plan was for me to dump a small amount of water out of a bottle, poke at the floating blob, say or line or two, and then gently push against the side of the plane to send myself drifting gently out of frame.

Didn't quite work like that. I dumped the water out and mere seconds later the plane jogged sharply, which caused me to hurtle uncontrollably through the water blob - now a thousand small blobs - and directly into poor Stuart's groin, boot-first. Along with that nasty centrifuge face, this episode certainly led to two of the least attractive moments of my existence thus far. The final two parabolas went nicely however, with no water blobs disturbed nor groins violently assaulted. And I got another patch!

As for how the whole thing felt - it was exactly as I expected. Exciting, liberating, mind-bending. The one thing I didn't expect was how little effort was required to propel oneself through the air - you'd think a gentle push would result in a gentle float, but no. One little tap and next thing you know you've shot down the aisle of the plane and are about to float right on into the cockpit.

So that was the Flight episode - a couple of intense experiences that I feel truly privileged to have taken part in, and a newfound appreciation of gravity. Since those two shoots, I've noticed I've become a lot more attuned to the movements and subtle changes in G-forces during airplane flights, and I have a tremendous respect for what the folks who fly in high and zero-G environments must deal with as part of their daily routine. Also, I realized I have to get myself a flight suit to sew all my patches on to...