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A daily look back at the toys, games, and objects that captured our attention as children and continue to fascinate us today.
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Chutes Away from Gabriel (1977)


Company: Gabriel
Release date: 1977
Where to purchase: eBay

“Ready, aim, chutes away!”

Released in 1977 from Gabriel, Chutes Away challenged players ages six and up to save the day as the pilot of a Coast Guard land and sea rescue plane.

The mission was to drop a set of eight plastic parachutists into various scoring cups on a revolving terrain, accumulating points and rescuing survivors along the way. To successfully drop the parachutes on target, players used the game’s built-in reduction-lens viewfinder in concert with an aircraft control lever. The lens-mounted scope provided a quasi-realistic aerial view and players initiated their drops using a Drop switch in the control panel.

The toy’s spring-wound motor allowed the terrain to move without the need for batteries, while an on/off switch controlled gameplay. The air-rescue target game took up a decent amount of table space at 21 ½ x 16 ¼ x 16-inches high.

Chutes Away’s popularity allowed Gabriel to release a Night Rescue version of the game, which added a small search light to the bottom of the plane, allowing children to attempt their daring rescue missions during the day or night.

Explore classic toys and games that captured our attention and never let go.