Machine history
Air Command Pinball
Air Command is a one-of-a-kind pneumatic pinball machine documented as a playable attraction at Pinball Expo 2019. The event schedule placed it in the “Just for Fun” program rather than presenting it as a commercial production game.
Air Command: machine facts
- Documented appearance
- Pinball Expo 2019
- Operating system
- Pneumatic
- Exhibition status
- One of a kind
Pinball Expo 2019
The official Pinball Expo 2019 schedule listed Air Command among its “Just for Fun” attractions and described it as the world’s only pneumatic pinball machine.
A contemporary event participant separately described Air Command as a one-of-a-kind, all-pneumatic machine and encouraged Expo visitors to try it. This playable exhibition role supports its classification as a display prop rather than an original commercial production model.
Playing with compressed air
In its first-hand report from Pinball Expo 2001, Pinball News described an initial charge of compressed air powering the flippers and targets. Play continued until the air supply ran out, rather than ending after a fixed allowance of balls. A rotary pressure gauge in the backbox displayed the score.
The same report distinguished the pneumatic game mechanisms from the electrical supply used for illumination. Its 2012 Expo report described Rob Clippard presenting the machine as a demonstration of pneumatic valves and discussing changes made to the game.