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 Groupon: for $149, you get a tandem skydive from Central Maine Skydiving in Pittsfield (a $230 value). Today’s deal is valid for plane jumpers aged 18 and older weighing no more than 230 pounds. The usual $50 deposit is waived with this Groupon.

Central Maine Skydiving lets adventure-seeking humans try their hand at avian acrobatics during professionally led tandem skydives. Each airborne individual soars through the atmosphere with a highly trained instructor, as Central Maine’s plane hoppers boast more than 10,000 combined jumps under their skydiving belts and an average of 20 years of experience. Guests undergo approximately one hour of training before joining the pilot for an ascent to 10,000 feet. Once securely attached to their instructors, participants leap from the plane’s interior and freefall through the sky for about 35 seconds, or enough time to taunt an osprey. At 4,000 feet, plummeters pull the cord to crack open the parachute and swoop into a 5- to 10-minute flight overlooking the Pittsfield countryside. Although not included in today’s deal, Central Maine Skydiving also provides video services to record divers’ fist-pumping exhilaration and ensure their fre-falling renditions of Othello’s monologue aren’t lost to the ages.