Flight 2000

Quickie Version:

Spinners all day; the right one is better. If you get close to starting multiball give that priority.

Go-to Flipper:

Balanced

Risk Index:

High; all shots that lead up top can come down badly

Full Rules:

Strategy: The safest way to big points is the rather boring right-spinner-all-day drill, ideally sweeping the three right side drop targets on several of the shots. If the ball is on the right flipper, shoot the left spinner-orbit up top. Multiball beats the spinner but can be hard to start; if you’re behind a lot, though, go for it. Completing the 3-bank raises the value of the spinner you shoot through to hit it. It starts at 500 and goes up to 5K; the insert lights are cumulative - - you can have 500+1000+1500+2000 per spin. If you get all three targets in one sweeping shot, you score 50K, plus whatever spinner points you got en route. The left spinner to the top, the other key shot, also has a wide range of values. It’s just 200 to start but can be worth up to 1600 per spin before you play multiball and can then go up as high as 4K. It goes up for each letter you have in BLAST OFF, and after you’ve blasted off and started multiball, the value per letter is 500 instead of 200. Besides spinner points, this shot gets you channel-kick points (minimum 10K), and then top lane points when the ball reenters via LAST. To get multiball, first spell BLASTOFF; L-A-S-T you get from the top right four lanes. There’s no lane change, though, and balls kicked out of the progressive channels may tend to go into the same letter, so you could need several shots to the top via the left orbit and a lot of nudging to get them all. There are three ways to get the “B”: either of the two standup targets tucked away just below the outsides of the LAST lanes, plus the outer left return lane. O-F-F you get by luck in the return lanes; the “F”s are the inner pair, the outer right one gives you the “O”. The inner return lanes are more valuable, giving 5K vs. 3K for the outers, and also spotting the lit number target. Once you have BLASTOFF, lock three balls via the chutes at the top left and get the center and left standup targets is descending 5-4-3-2-1 order. The final shot has to be to lock the third ball. The 1-5 targets have risky rebounds, so don’t tackle them until you have the other steps done. You should get two numbers when you get the two F’s, meaning you only need three shots at the drops if you wait. Multiball is hard to get but extremely valuable: just starting it should be worth about 200K. During multiball, the left spinner, now at 500 per letter, becomes your best choice; shots there add LAST letters and channel points, too. You can collect BLASTOFF letters during multiball towards starting it again; you might even get all of them by the time you’re back to single ball play! After you play multiball, the center recessed standup target gives you a BLAST letter in addition to points and the multiplier. All this makes starting multiball a second or third time way easier than the first. Bonus is not as significant as on many other games from its time; base bonus only goes up to 10K. Maximum multiplier is actually 15X; as with the spinner, the bonus multiplier lights are cumulative. You raise the multiplier either by shooting the recessed standup target between the #3 and #4 drop targets or by completing the drop target 3-bank on the right side. Unless you’re very proficient at hitting the standup target and the rebounds from shots at it don’t drain, you’ll rarely get more than 5X. Never shoot the ball towards the bumpers. The game comes with a center post which may be removed or de-rubbered in competition.

via Bob's Guide