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Rescue Pilot Aims Even Higher – Klaus Rainer Experiences Weightlessness for the First Time Bordeaux, France / Klagenfurt, Austria – November 2025 Renowned Carinthian helicopter rescue pilot Klaus Rainer, who has completed more than 44,700 flights, 9700 flighthours and 8,000 rescue missions, has taken his passion for aviation to a whole new level — by experiencing weightlessness for the very first time.As part of a Zero Gravity training flight conducted by Air Zero G in Bordeaux, Rainer participated in a parabolic flight simulating the sensation of space travel. "It was simply indescribable," said the 59-year-old after floating freely for several minutes in microgravity conditions.Rainer, a long-time ÖAMTC and Austrian military helicopter pilot, has joined the visionary program Swiss Space Tourism (SST) — an initiative that aims to make suborbital space experiences accessible not only to astronauts but also to private citizens. His goal: to inspire others to reach for the stars."I've always been fascinated by extraordinary challenges," Rainer explains."Joining Swiss Space Tourism was a natural next step for me — and perhaps, one day, for many others who dream of space." During the training, Rainer had the unique opportunity to meet French astronaut Jean-François Clervoy, a veteran of several NASA Space Shuttle missions, who congratulated him on his achievement.While it remains to be seen whether Klaus Rainer will join the planned Mission 2035 to space, his message is already clear:"Even if I never make it to space myself, I want to inspire young people to dare the extraordinary — and to believe in themselves."

Want to inspire young people to get the next Generation of Pilots and Astronauts..