The first parachute was invented when Jack, tumbling haplessly from his titanium beanstalk, used a purloined pair of giant underpants to steady his fall. Glide to earth safely with today's deal: for $119, you get to go on a tandem jump with one of the trained instructors from Start Skydiving (a $239 value on weekends and holidays and a $219 value Monday–Thursday). Start Skydiving is a team of professional wind swimmers based at the Middletown Regional Airport in Middletown, Ohio, about a two-hour drive from Columbus. You'll get one hour of instruction on tandem jumping before actually taking the plunge (though you should plan on spending up to six hours at Start Skydiving). Start Skydiving is currently open Saturdays and Sundays, and will be open Friday–Sunday beginning April 2 and every day but Tuesday and Wednesday beginning May 3 and continuing through the summer.

Tandem skydives are a great way to get inexperienced feet wet with something other than terror sweat, offering amateur thrill-seekers a skydiving experience with the security of a trained instructor strapped to their backs. And the experts at Start Skydiving are trained up to their nose-holes; certified by the United States Parachute Association, they also train year round for formation skydiving with Team Fastrax. The jump itself happens from a height of about 10,000–12,000 ft., after which you free-fall for 50 seconds. Alight on the soft, springy earth below after four minutes of falling softly under the protective canopy of an oversized parachute built for two humans or one fortunate pachyderm.

Start Skydiving's spotless record and commitment to safety help nervous divers ease into the loving embrace of the harness. People who skydive say the feeling of pure freedom is unparalleled, the adrenaline rush is addictive, and facing their fears is a satisfying way to prove themselves to high-school bullies, old flames, and former accountants.

There is a maximum weight limit of 235 lbs.; more than 235 lbs. is subject to an additional fee. The minimum age requirement is 18 years for this deal. All participants must sign a waiver prior to the jump. Call in advance to schedule.

Reviews

The Dayton Business Journal has mentioned Start Skydiving, and DropZone.com reviewers give it a perfect five stars:

• Start Skydiving is just a great DZ [drop zone]. The very professional staff knows how to get their jobs done right, and have fun at the same time, giving both students and experienced jumpers a DZ experience they will remember and want to come back to time after time. – flattrack4
• Staff as a whole is amazingly professional. They are top-of-the-line and always wanting to make your visit a fun, exciting, and memorable one, always offering help, advice, encouragement, warnings, and compassion. – Thumpy
• The plane was in amazing shape and extremely nice. The building was very clean and the whole environment was very professional. Overall, this was one of the best days skydiving I ever had, it was unquestionably worth the drive and I would recommend this place to anyone remotely near the area. – Seebs112

Post-Skydive Conversations

Safe and carefully regulated skydiving remains a remarkable human feat. Beyond the sheer excitement of your tandem dive, you’ll also have the memories, sense of accomplishment, and perspective that only seeing the world from above can bring. Here’s a typical post-skydiving water cooler conversation:

“Oh, hey Eileen.”

“Hey, Dodger. How was your weekend?”

“Man, don’t get me started. I must’ve drank like seven Coke Zeros and stayed up all night watching Season 1 of Fringe. I mean, literally, the entire season. It was nuts. How about you?”

“Oh, not too much. I briefly left the world, cruising to altitudes untouched by the concerns of man, and then flew, as one might fly in a dream, unencumbered on a cushion of pure exhilaration, the clouds themselves swimming through my fingertips as the geometry of creation was laid out before me in the majestic perfection that surrounds us, hidden by its very enormity. Is Fringe worth checking out?”