Extreme crane sports

A base jumping group has used a fully rigged 200 tonne capacity all terrain crane to carry out their daring leaps.

UK Pro Base is the company behind the UK base jumping championships in which competitors parachuted from NMT Crane and Plant Hire's Terex Demag AC 200. Fully-rigged, the crane lifted the participants to more than 90 m in a metal cage.

The aim is to jump out holding the parachute in one hand before releasing it and trying to land on a small target, the size of a tennis ball. The first round took place at the Bedford River Festival in July, (see pictures).

Round two of the "Who's the Daddy?" championship took place in August, when NMT operated the newest addition to its fleet, a Terex Demag AC 250. The machine provided the parachutists with a more than 100 m jump, and the increased load capacity meant more jumpers could be taken on each lift.

"We always understood the industry's reluctance to get involved with anything as unusual as our sport and found very few people willing to even listen to our plans and proposals. NMT were different in that they were happy to give us the time to explain our methods and procedures, and then work with us to establish good working practices to allow the events to go ahead safely," said Dave Moores, UK Pro Base director.

NMT Crane and Plant Hire Ltd, based in Bedfordshire, has provided cranes and lifting equipment to the TV and film world for many years.