Good pilots can smoothly takeoff and land a plane, great pilots can herd up childrens' runaway balloons and drive them into the sunset. Mosey about the skies with today's Groupon: for $79, you get a one-hour Discovery flight experience from Griffith Aviation, Inc. at Griffith-Merrillville Airport in Griffith, Indiana (a $300 value).

Located a mere robin's hop from Chicago, Griffith Aviation flight school invites sky-goers to take the controls of a Piper Warrior and soar through the wide open skies of northern Indiana. The Discovery flight kicks off with a preflight inspection, during which pupil and certified flight instructor alike go through a startup checklist to make sure the craft is ready to be airborne without having to ask a cloud for a piggyback ride. After takeoff, students will spend 30–45 minutes in the air slicing through the big blue, taking in aerial views of Crown Point and Cedar Lake, and learning maneuvers including turning, climbing, and descending. The experienced instructor will safely return the plane to the runway, and then host a Q&A session in which students gather answers to such questions as “How long does it take to get an airplane license?” or “How many living sparrows can you fit into the pockets of your pants?"