Years ago I found a huge boxed toy at a jumble sale in Dewsbury.
It was called Chutes Away.
It was made by Gabriel and released in 1977.
I was blown away by this find and was excited when I set it up at home. Essentially Chutes Away was/ is a large plastic plane attached to a support.
Parachutes could be dropped from the plane into landing pots on a revolving circular ground. All in all a fabulous toy! Or is it a game?
Here's the original TV advert from 1977 with a mesmerised Dick Van Dyke no less courtesy of You Tube.
As with virtually everything I stumbled across in the 90's I sold my Chutes Away but I always remember it being one of the best toys I found. It recalled my own escapades at the helm of my brilliant Airfix Flight Deck toy in the 60's.
I've recently discovered that there was also a Night Vision version of Chutes Away! What a cool idea turning the lights off and dropping your chutes!
Does anyone remember Chutes Away, Night Vision Chutes Away or Flight Deck?
Are there any other toys like these?
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Postscript from reader Mark J
Here is said Night Chutes Away!
It popped up in my feed directly after Dick Van Dyke!!
Mark
Hi Woodsy,
ReplyDeleteClicked on link to watch Chutes Away video, and got the Aurora Models hosted by Elvira!
A great clip on Aurora. Don't remember Chutes Away, sounds like an interesting fun game.
Jim
Sacramento CA
Chutes Away with Elvira!
DeleteLove it Jim!
Just went back and it reloaded with Dick Van Dyke and Chutes Away. Glad I got a chance to see it. Still don't remember it though, not sure how I missed it as a kid!
ReplyDeleteJim
Sacramento CA
The box was HUGE too Jim. They're can't have been many on the toy shelves, they were so darn big!
DeleteAnother amazing toy I have never heard of. Looking at the ads I realised there are two different types of plane. Chutes Away has a twin, piston-engined plane which appears to have clear plastic discs for the propellers; while the Night Rescue Chutes Away has a twin-jet with a T-tail, meaning the tailplanes are set on top of the vertical fin. No idea what types of plane these are meant to be, but it must have been great fun to play.
ReplyDelete