Manfrotto 1004BAC air cushioned not... cushinoing?

Hey guys,
I have recently bought the Photo Master Stand, Air Cushioned (1004). I find it really nice. However, as it is my first light stand, there seem to be something I am failing to understand: I was under the impression that air cushioned means that even with a flash or other heavy equipment mounted on the stand, in case of emergency, the pole will descend slowly down and keep the gear safe (demonstrated in this video: https://youtu.be/xIM7T​YpYFr4?t=20s). However, when checking this mechanism (under close supervision), I noticed that if I will open one of the locks slightly and let the pole slide down, it will not go down slowly and safely, but very quickly and not cushioned at all. Am I missing something or doing something wrong? Is it possible that I got a defective unit?
I appreciate your help!
Thank you,
Noam.

eaglexdr wrote in post #18572521
Am I missing something or doing something wrong?

No.

Yes.

They make these air cushioned stands work by placing a rubber stopper inside the bottom of the column, it prevents the air from escaping quickly causing it to drop slower than it would otherwise.

The downside with this approach is it's very fallible, if anything happens to the stopper or if there's a hole in the outer tube that'll cause the air to escape too quickly, reducing the cushioning effect.

That's why you'll often see air cushioned stands that hardly cushion after a few years of use, you're probably just ahead of the curve but you should have a reasonable expectation for it to work if you bought new.

I'd ask for a replacement or discount.

Thank you guys.