There are few freedoms as liberating as being able to fly, which is why humans spent millennia inventing the airplane and why penguins are so very, very bitter. Exceed evolutionary shortcomings with today’s Groupon: for $125, you get a one-hour flight lesson at Cactus Aviation in Henderson (a $253 value).

The certified pilots at Cactus Aviation share the joy of flight with wingless humans, strapping them into a cozy cockpit and flinging them into the sky. Under the watchful gaze of a professional flyer, students take the controls and gently steer one of the professionally groomed mechanical birds through the skies while learning the basics of flight. The instructors stress instrument training to prepare for common low-visibility flight conditions such as flying through clouds or herds of cows on their way to jump over the moon. Budding pilots also practice holding patterns and acquire some of the skills necessary for successful cross-country flights.