Why yes you are.

I never thought of that, but I have often played a few balls with the glass off after doing a repair to make sure everything is working. I've never had an issue despite having lots of air balls during actual games with the glass on. I believe all my air balls were heading in my direction or to the side and not to the back glass. Still, anything can happen I suppose. Case in point: Today, while driving on the highway, a semi truck in front of me lost a spare tire and some part from it came flying through the air only to find the hood of my new(ish) car. It could have been much worse, for me and the people in back of me. Luckily, there was only a slight dent and scratch. Still, if I had gotten there a split second earlier, it probably would have gone through the windshield, and if I had gotten there a split second later, it would have missed me entirely. All that said, I think you will probably be fine playing with the glass off.

It depends on the game. I never play test Mata Hari without the glass because of the top saucer that constantly hits the glass. But most games don't have a launch pad like that right in front of the backglass.

Don't play Comet with the glass off, because the ball will hit the backglass.

WH2O of course the ball will hit you from Insanity Falls ramp.

Baldwinsville mother killed after bouncing tire on I-690 lands on top of her car

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/04/baldwinsville_mother_killed_after_bouncing_tire_on_i-690_lands_on_top_of_her_car.html

I once long ago broke an outer Xenon glass by playing it with the glass off

Flipper rebuild + ramp shot + no playfield glass = bad day for me.

Chris

I remember I was working on my X-Men and had the Xavier VUK "chimney" removed. I didn't even put any thought into and the ball rolled back there. It shot the ball straight up a couple of feet and I just happened to be quick enough and realize it in enough time to catch it.

The ball is too heavy. Probably will never reach the bg.

Played all my games with glass off and never once did the ball come even remotely close to the bg.

This is fantastic.

I've had the ball hit the backglass without breaking it, but it still makes me drop a loaf.

Might be time to rebuild your flippers

Isn't the BG tempered just like the PF glass? It's not going to break even if it does hit it. Unless you've got it out on the floor and the ball flies out of the machine and hits the edge of the glass and it explodes. It could happen...I guess...

i play around with mine with the glass off all the time after shopping. I really don't play with the flippers as much as more of rolling the ball into slings and leaf switches behind new rubbers to see if the switches are stuck or rapid firing. After rolling around by hand and checking all the rollovers and stuff, I usually glass it back up and test it some more.

hmm, can you put the pf glass in front of the bg, or stand a piece of plexi in front of it? definitely get better picture, machine sounds are much louder with the glass off, seen videos without.

I wondered this as well. I would never trust a pinball flying in mid air, it could do all sorts of damage to glass people or plastic parts.

I really wonder tho what the most insane story is of a pinball doing damage. some insane shot or kickup that shoots it across the room and hits someone in the head.

be careful

I've played and recorded over 200 gameplay videos without a single ball hitting a backglass ( thousands of games of pinball). I have had several balls come off of the front of the machine and roll on the floor, but none have ever gone high enough in the BG direction to be an issue.

YMMV

Best of luck.

Has anyone ever had an air ball shatter the playfield glass? Sometimes I worry that that might happen with how hard some of my balls bounce off of the glass.

I once killed a kid while playing a freshly waxed Hercules with the glass off.

Thankfully, the judge was a pinhead. Got 6 months informal probation. True story.

WTF, Really.

Backglass is generally just regular glass. Not tempered. When it breaks, watch out for shards.

i was playing mm with the glass off and the troll popped up and launched the ball right at me. i pooped myself a little.

No. Like MHS said, go for it. I test my route games with the glass off all the time.

As if the game knows you're only testing, you'll have some of your best games ever playing with the glass off (assuming your testing, not cheating). Any op will tell you he's had some of his best games ever while 'testing'. Sad but true.

i think there is something psychological going on there. even if you don't cheat, i think you know you could and it eases any anxiety you may have. just a theory, nothing scientifically proven or anything.

Pissing my pants!! tears in my eyes, that is f@#%ing hystiracle!!