Richard Hammond's Crash Course

At Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, Richard Hammond tests his skills to see if he has what it takes to be a member of a top tank crew, as he learns to drive the US Army's MIA2 Abrams Tank. The tank "Debel," meaning to conquer in war, lives up to its fighter name as a leading force in ground-armored combat. Richard's challenge is not only to drive the 68.7 ton machine, but to master all four positions within the tank: Driver, Commander, Gunner and Loader. Before he can jump in, he has to complete the Army's extensive training program including hours of simulator training and of course, physical fitness training.

In the midst of an Oregon forest, Richard Hammond's skills are put to the test when he is challenged to become a lumberjack and master three massive machines that cut and process wood. The first machine, the Feller Buncher, is used to cut down trees and can process 1,000 trees a day. The Dangle Head Processor handles the logs like toothpicks, as it cuts, strips and slices wood in less than a minute. Finally, the Log Loader adds organization to the chaos by stacking the logs. However, before Richard can touch the machines he has to prove he has what it takes to become a lumberjack by climbing 50 feet up a tree and of course, learning how to replant the trees to create a sustainable forest.

Richard Hammond gets down and dirty at the Denver Regional Landfill where he learns how to operate three trash machines - the Compactor| Scraper and Bulldozer. The Bulldozer is used to spread garbage so the other machines can work properly| it can push up to 22 tons of waste. The Compactor| which weighs more than the last 11 Super Bowl championship teams combined| is used to crush the rubbish. Lastly| the Scraper covers the refuse and can hold up to 40 tons of dirt. Richard not only has to master all three| he is challenged to maintain the machines as well| which means cleaning them at the end of a hard day's work.

Richard Hammond takes on the Striker, the world's most powerful fire engine, under the supervision of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport firefighters. The Striker is designed to be driven and operated by one person, it has eight wheels which are all driven and it features two water cannons that can fire up to 1200 gallons a minute. Richard also attempts to master the physical challenges that determine if he has what it takes to be a firefighter.

Richard Hammond is bringing down the house in Orlando, Florida, home to one of the busiest demolition companies in the nation, and he's using their massive Track Hoe and Wrecking Ball to do it. On average, it takes a person six months to master a Track Hoe, but Richard only has a few hours to learn how to use it like a pair of tweezers. The two ton Wrecking Ball has the power to tear down a five story building in seconds. Richard's challenge is to prove to the company he is worthy of a real demo man title by demolishing a house with surgical precision.

Richard Hammond has his hands full as he heads down to Louisiana to salvage scrap metal. He must conquer the Crane, the Claw and Electro-Magnet, all of which are essential tools used to break down oil rigs and select the reusable material. The Crane can lift up to 150 tons and crawls at a top speed of one MPH. The Claw is used to separate out recyclable materials. It can lift 15 tons of recyclable materials at one time, the equivalent of 100 sumo wrestlers. The Electro-Magnet can lift up to 4,000 pounds at one time, the same as 20 refrigerators.