Sky Dive

Sky Dive is an electro-mechanical (EM) pinball machine from D. Gottlieb & Company, released January 9, 1974, and designed by Ed Krynski with art by Gordon Morison. It is the version of Gottlieb's 1974 'Free Fall' made for export to Italy; the domestic replay version of the same game is Gottlieb's 'Sky Jump.'

The gameplay is characterized by an operator option that allows for either "Add A Ball Play" or "5 Ball Play," adding a strategic layer to player interaction. The single-player, wedge-head machine features two flippers, three pop bumpers, two slingshots, a 7-bank of drop targets, and six standup targets on the playfield, giving players a varied set of shots to work with.

Sky Dive's parachuting theme and wedge-head cabinet tie together its visual presentation. In a fun bit of trivia, the airplane registration number N188PA on the backglass was reportedly the actual registration of a plane owned by designer Wayne Neyens's son, added to the art as a personal touch. With 2,260 confirmed units produced, Sky Dive is a lesser-known variant of the Free Fall/Sky Jump family that is of particular interest to collectors tracking Gottlieb's export models.