NMT, the UK-based crane rental company, has once again ignored policies promoted by associations such as IPAF, the CPA and ESTA and supplied a large All Terrain crane for the UK Base Jumping Championships on the Blackpool seafront between the tower and pleasure beach.
A view from almost 500ft!
Over the August bank holiday weekend a 700 tonne Terex AC700 with full luffing jib was used by 80 of the world’s leading Base jumpers jumping from a height of 146 metres or just shy of 500ft if you prefer – just 11 metres less than the height of the Blackpool Tower.
After leaving the basket at the top of the jib, the jumpers have about 60 metres of free-fall before deploying parachutes and using the remaining seconds to land on targets placed on the beach. The event – to be World AirgameZ Champion 2016 – was deemed a success and will be repeated on an annual basis.
80 of the world’s leading Base jumpers jumped from a height of 146 metres on the Blackpool seafront
Base jumping – which stands for buildings, antennas, spans and earth from which jumps are performed – is one of the world’s most dangerous sports. Unlike a parachute jump from a plane, Base jumps are done from fixed objects at lower altitudes. It is reported that there have been almost 300 base jumping deaths since 1981.
NMT supplied a 700 tonne Terex AC700 with full luffing jib with a height of 146 metres
NMT has continued to supply cranes for activities like this since a run-in with IPAF at the SED show in Milton Keynes around 15 years ago. Rather than give-in to the pressure that built-up over the subsequent few years it decided to hone its skills and become more experienced in this type of service, teaming up in 2008 with the association Pro BASE.
