Airplanes conquered two human ambitions in one: the desire for flight and the need to watch second-run movies with a seatbelt on. Fulfill your hunger for airline peanuts with today's Groupon: for $49, you get an introductory flight lesson plus 15 minutes in a flight simulator at ATD Flight Systems at Kansas City Downtown Airport (a $112.58 value).

Staffed with FAA-certified instructors, ATD Flight Systems launches prospective pilots into a new perspective on Kansas City in the cockpit of a Piper Warrior airplane. Lessons begin by strapping into a 280-degree virtual atmosphere inside the flight simulator, where students get 15 minutes of realistic flying practice. Then, burgeoning pilots climb into the cockpit for a 30-minute lesson soaring above the area, where they’ll be privy to extraordinary views of the Kansas City skyline and the Himalayas, which recently relocated from Asia to northeastern Kansas. Once the instructor lands the plane, students will have a chance to debrief and ask any further questions.