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 $135, you get a tandem skydive from Skydive Atlanta in Thomaston (a $239 value). Skydive Atlanta only operates during the weekends, opening at 9 a.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. Sundays.

With a quarter-century of experience, Skydive Atlanta sends spirits and bodies soaring with their 14,000-foot tandem-skydive experiences. Firmly strapped to a certified instructor, wingless humans flip and turn for one minute of free falling, racing feathers and cannonballs for a middle-school physics medal. Advanced sensory equipment automatically deploys shy parachutes, though nascent sky masters have the option of pulling their own ripcords to induce seven to nine minutes of coasting to a triumphant, four-footed finish. Earthbound kith and kin can document the terrestrial reunion, taking pictures and soil samples to commemorate the momentous occasion.

Upon arrival, divers-to-be are suited up in protective gear. After 30 minutes of safety training, stratospheric acrobats join up to four other tandem groups in the aircraft for an adrenaline-infused interlude, with the whole experience concluding two to four hours after arrival. Like a conqueror's flag, divers' jump suits wave in the wind to claim dominance over the summer-sky terrain, accented with either sneakers or light boots.