AirEmotion, a German entertainment company, is offering "flights" over the Bauma show later this month in Munich.
For 20 euros, the company will strap you into a contraption that resembles a hang glider decorated with Icarus-like wings. The rig is shackled to the hook of a tower crane.
Once set, the crane will spin you 150 ft over the convention center.
The idea of soaring over the forest of crane booms and throngs of people at Bauma sounds fun, but is it safe?
One may recall a carnival-like fad in the early 1990s, when people were bungee-jumping from construction cranes. It provided extra revenue for crane-rental companies, but it was eventually deemed unsafe and illegal in many states.
New Jersey banned the practice in 1993, with support from crane manufacturers. It continued to allow bungee jumping from permanent platforms, though.
Many industry standards recognize that, for construction purposes, hanging workers from the hook of a crane is only a last-resort measure after all other methods of access have been exhausted.
According to AirEmotion, the ride takes about five minutes. Riders are restricted to about 265 pounds and 6'6" in height. The flyer can accommodate up to five people at a time.
If this sort of thing appeals to you, the exhibit will be open in lot F7/717 at Bauma 2013 from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
