# Check In, Flip Out **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 1980-02-01 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/flybacktothe80s.html --- ## Analysis Northern Lights Pinball team is supplying two pinball machines (AC/DC and Star Trek: The Next Generation) for a Fly Back to the '80s charity fashion show fundraiser at Manchester Airport on September 27, 2014, benefiting the Teenage Cancer Trust. The machines will be on coin play with all proceeds donated to charity, with transport costs covered by Pinball Heaven. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Northern Lights Pinball team is supplying two pinballs for the Fly Back to the '80s event on September 27 at Manchester Airport — _Direct statement in article about event participation and date_ - [HIGH] AC/DC and Star Trek: The Next Generation pinball machines will be on coin play for the charity event — _Article explicitly names both machines as event participants_ - [HIGH] Pinball Heaven is covering transport costs for the machines — _Direct statement in article: 'Transport costs for the two machines are being met by Pinball Heaven'_ - [MEDIUM] Concorde was the theme of several pinball and bingo games including one self-titled Concorde and Supersonic — _Article states this as fact but does not provide specific game details or release dates_ ### Notable Quotes > "this September the Big Bird and the Silver Ball are reunited in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity" > — **Article author** > _Poetic framing of the charity event combining Concorde aircraft ('Big Bird') and pinball machines ('Silver Ball') for fundraising purposes_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Northern Lights Pinball | organization | Team supplying pinball machines for the charity event | | AC/DC | game | Stern pinball machine themed after the rock band, one of two machines featured at charity event | | Star Trek: The Next Generation | game | Pinball machine themed after the Star Trek franchise series, one of two machines featured at charity event | | Teenage Cancer Trust | organization | UK charity benefiting from the Fly Back to the '80s event proceeds | | Pinball Heaven | organization | Company covering transport costs for machines to Manchester Airport event | | Manchester Airport | event | Location of Fly Back to the '80s charity fashion show fundraiser on September 27, 2014 | | Concorde | game | Historic aircraft that has been theme of several pinball and bingo games; aircraft at Manchester Airport featured in article headline | ### Topics - **Primary:** Charity fundraising through pinball, Pinball machine placement in unusual locations, 1980s themed entertainment and nostalgia - **Secondary:** Pinball machine themes and IP licensing ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Upbeat tone celebrating pinball's role in charity fundraising, nostalgic framing of '80s themes, community collaboration between Northern Lights Pinball, Pinball Heaven, and the event organizers ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Pinball community mobilizing to support charity fundraising through machine placement and logistical support (confidence: high) — Northern Lights Pinball supplying machines and Pinball Heaven covering transport costs for Teenage Cancer Trust fundraiser - **[event_signal]** Charity event featuring pinball machines as entertainment draw for '80s-themed fashion show fundraiser (confidence: high) — Fly Back to the '80s event at Manchester Airport on September 27, 2014, featuring AC/DC and Star Trek: TNG machines on coin play --- ## Transcript Date: 13th August, 2014 Pinball turns up in a number of unusual locations, but perhaps one of the strangest is under the wings of the iconic Concorde aircraft at Manchester Airport in northwest Robert Englunds. Concorde is no stranger to pinball of course, having been the theme of several pinball and bingo games from the self-titled Concorde to Supersonic, but this September the Big Bird and the Silver Ball are reunited in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity. The Northern Lights Pinball team will be supplying two pinballs for the Fly Back to the '80s event being held on 27th September as part of the Runway on the Runway charity fashion show fundraiser. To continue the '80s theme, the two pinballs chosen feature evergreen themes which were relaunched in the '80s and found a new generation of fans. The band AC/DC picked themselves up after the death of their lead singer Bon Scott in February 1980, recruited Brian Johnson, and released their seminal best-selling album Back in Black the same year. After a long-running and highly successful original series, the Star Trek franchise was also relaunched in the '80s as The Next Generation first hit the small screen in September 1987. Both the AC/DC and Star Trek - The Next Generation pinball machines will be on coin play for the event, with all proceeds going to the charity. Transport costs for the two machines are being met by Pinball Heaven. More details of the Fly Back to the '80s event are available on the website, where tickets can also be booked. Back to the News page Like this page? Share it with your Facebook friends: Back to the front page _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 0e1043f6-4cb2-408c-b073-2979df5eb15d*