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 $145, you get a tandem skydive with a certified instructor at Triangle Skydiving Center in Louisburg (up to a $225 value).

Triangle Skydiving Center's tandem jump straps you to an experienced jumpmaster to ensure your skydive journey gets off the ground quickly and safely. After you've completed the necessary paperwork and crossword puzzle, you'll armor up with a proper flight satchel and be strapped to a USPA-certified chaperone. The Super Otter aircraft delivers jumpers into the atmospheric abyss. At peak altitude—about 13,500 feet—you'll leap out into a 60-second, 120 mph free fall, during which your backpack buddy can help you perform mid-air maneuvers. Once the ripcord is pulled, five to six minutes of tranquil parachuting will give you time to eye-drink the natural beauty and make a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.

You can jump from sunrise to sunset year-round, and the friendly staffers at Triangle Skydiving Center will ensure an awesome avian adventure with the best equipment, facilities, and instructors. Call ahead to reserve your jump.

Reviews

Eight DropZone reviewers give Triangle Skydiving Center an average of four stars, and more than 610 Facebook users like it:

• All the staff were very professional and very friendly…The landing area was as good as it gets. – rrfselkman, DropZone
• The tandem instructors are very experienced, the have probably 15,000 tandems among them, and most of the regular jumpers are coach and/or AFF rated as well so there's always someone around to teach. – ljwobker, DropZone