That is some serious piece of kit. The kids managed to wade back to shore without any help in the end – so ended up more of a training / faffing exercise.

I bet that the local area either has mud flats or a large sand bank near by.
Hovercrafts are cool.

I bet that the local area either has mud flats or a large sand bank near by.

Yup – Morecambe bay

There's a "tourist" hovercraft doing pleasure trips around Plymouth's waterfront at the moment – runs out of the Mountbatten Watersports Centre. Looks good fun, if a little noisy.

Always wanted one of these for camping trips

WANT.

Hovercrafts are cool.

They are beyond cool. They're in the freezer, chilled to the nth degree!

Went racing them once on a stag weekend. Crazy grass/water/grass/water/grass/water action with next to no control! Soooooo much fun.

I think we should ALL use hovercraft a lot more.

And, to make it even better, they're British! And made by a man in a shed! http://www.hovercraft-museum.org/cockerell.html All the best things came from sheds.

Like baby Jesus? Wasn't he born in a shed?

Pompey to Ryde hovercraft is so noise, and incredibly bumpy in all but still summer weather. Cool though.

Fantastic machines. BARB (Burnham Area Rescue Boats) have two, the largest was bought with donations after a five-year-old girl got stuck in the mud at Burnham -on-Sea and drowned. They get called out around two hundred times a year, usually 'cos some f*** wit's driven his 4×4 into the mud and got stuck, but recently a bloke got stuck up to his waist in the mud and the hovercraft got to him as the tide was up to his chest. It's a 35ft tidal rise and fall there…

Dreamed about having a hovercraft since I were a lad. No idea why, they're just cool.

I remember a guy had one when i was growing up as a kid, parked at the side of his garage. Had a concrete slipway down to the sea, this was in Dalgety Bay , Sealstrand to be precise. I remember the word of mouth that he was going to take it out and we'd all bike down and watch him razz off down the garden into the water – uber cool !

My cousin is an RNLI Hovercraft Commander. As flying/driving is such an intensive process, the Commander, although a qualified flyer, stands up the back like a tank commander as they travel at high speed along anything they want to.

Apparently it does cause a stir in the population when they 'fly' (nb. not float/sail) up to a beach.

I've sat in the craft in its garage and it's a great thing -like a big kit car/boat/helicopter with bits of instrumentation from all 3.

I think we should ALL use hovercraft a lot more.

The best statement I've ever heard on here.

Thats not a hovercraft, This is a hovercraft..

Comes with it's own tank.

Did you ever cross the channel on the old Hoverspeed? (Since deceased). Like a ride in a WW2 Bomber. Amazing

I'll see your US Navy LCAC and raise you a Russian Zubr class LCAC, complete with several tanks!! 😯

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1908

Need. Want. Must have.

The Southend RNLI hovercraft got stuck earlier in the year and had to be rescued by the fire brigade.

Another British invention that the Yanks then improved upon

mountaincarrot – Member

Did you ever cross the channel on the old Hoverspeed? (Since deceased). Like a ride in a WW2 Bomber. Amazing

yip, many times. was said to see them go.
Brought back memories when crossing on Speed Ferries and stood on the concrete at dover looking at the landing area.

When I stick it to the mannnn and take over this tiny planet I am going to be mainly using one of those Russian Zubr class LCAC's now that is frecking cool!!!!