Drop tower

In a typical modern configuration, each gondola carrying riders is lifted to the top of the tower and then released to free fall back down to ground level.

A magnetic braking system, or a variation that relies on pistons and air pressure, is used to safely bring the gondola to a complete stop.

[1][2] Swiss manufacturer Intamin renewed interest decades later when it pioneered the modern drop tower with an early iteration released in the 1980s, which was later refined to use magnetic braking systems in the 1990s.

S&S Sansei modified the concept and released their own variation that employs pneumatics, which involves pistons, air pressure, and steel cables to control the speed of the gondola at all times.

[2] Drop towers can vary in height and capacity, and some models are either mass-produced or custom.

The Giant Drop at Dreamworld
The High Fall at Movie Park Germany
A drop tower at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk entitled the "Double Shot"
Sky Ranch Philippines