Hovercraft, Concorde, and the Dreams of the 1970s

tomscott.com - / tomscott - Hovercraft were the future. So what went wrong? I had a brief stop on the Isle of Wight last week, and had one chance to get this video. Turns out hovercraft are loud, and you shouldn't stand too close behind one.
Correction to this video: a comma got moved in the script. The section about Concorde should read "after one of the planes crashed, in 2003 the airlines decided...". Punctuation's important! All corrections on this channel are at www.tomscott.com/corrections/

[@TomScottGo]

A comma got moved in the script for this video. The section about Concorde should read "after one of the planes crashed, in 2003 the airlines decided...". Punctuation's important! All corrections on this channel are at www.tomscott.com/corrections/

[@zxuiji]

I have to ask, what was uncomfortable about it? I've been on it a number of times and haven't felt any discomfort, is it just personal opinion?

[@glipk]

Thanks Tom

[@Lazbotable]

The plane in mentioned crashed in 2000

[@adamcroft9007]

@@Lazbotable gonna say the same thing, the final flight was in 2003 @Tom Scott

[@Joshimuz]

I live in Portsmouth and I see/hear the hovercraft nearly every day, I had no idea it was the only commercial hovercraft left, just another daily thing here.

[@louisgordon4388]

Same here I had no idea until I saw this.

[@ValeraGaming]

it's funny when you see your favorite streamer commenting on a random video you watch

[@Joshimuz]

howapar It's nicer when people recognise you can call you their favourite streamer :)

[@kimingsme3702]

howapar +1 for that :D I wonder what are the odds for something like this

[@johniliopoulos9568]

Joshimuz I

[@BrotherAlpha]

I can't believe Tom Scott missed the most important reason hovercrafts went out of fashion. They are full of eels.

[@NickiRusin]

BrotherAlpha Wait what

[@jakemanning6235]

BrotherAlpha You made my day.

[@NickiRusin]

Jake Manning Sir, please explain, I'm really confused.

[@Marc-yc6gm]

Nick Nirus Look for Monty Python's "Dirty hungarian phrasebook" sketch.

[@toaztelg]

BrotherAlpha Sir, you also made my day. :)

[@hshackleton678]

You should have gone to gosport nearby. There's a whole hangar full of decommissioned hovercraft

[@jordanskene3243]

Is there actually?

[@gcap7711]

@@jordanskene3243 no they’re lying

[@RobMacKendrick]

"Too expensive, too inefficient, too uncomfortable to survive." This is a concise definition of the entire 1970s.

[@mirzaahmed6589]

Also, full of eels.

[@biscuitsandbananas3433]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the old joke. So, here it goes. What's brown, steaming and comes out of Cowes? The Isle of Wight ferry.

[@Lutranereis]

I can't tell if this video would have been better with ADR, or if the lack of ADR is a genius way to punctuate the just how loud those fans are.

[@rockstopsthetraffic]

I think he aimed for the latter, surely!

[@elevown]

+Lutranereis I think he was surely getting across how loud and windy it was even from so far away - in a slightly humorous way :)

[@mattenglish2341]

I've been to see the two remaining cross-channel hovercraft, they're kept as a static exhibit at the Hovercraft Museum in Gosport. Bloody enormous.

[@antoncross]

Hey Tom, there is a hovercraft service in Russia. People are using it to cross the Amur river to China in Spring and Autumn, when ice is not thick enough.

[@ag6778]

thats over ICE, a much more smoother surface than then the ocean

[@catfish552]

Oh my god, that's an incredible sight! Tom is wearing a shirt!

[@catfish552]

Nillie Yes! And in such a serious, respectable colour, too.

[@theramendutchman]

Holy shirt that's life changing!

[@CallieMasters5000]

I remember taking the cross-Channel hovercrafts several times in the 1980's. They were fast but horrible! The worst trip involved constantly slamming down on top of every wave and lots of passengers throwing up. It felt like we were riding an innertube being pulled by a boat on the roughest sea imaginable. The Channel is pretty rough all the time, so they often had delays or problems due to rough seas. The ferries were a lot slower, though.

[@alameachan]

No more hovercrafts, supersonic planes, extensive monorail networks, zeppelins, hydrofoils, instead a new iPhone every year... The future sure turned out to be boring...

[@vlanoik]

alameachan Especially if you don't use Apple products (my phone still flips, and I like it like that)

[@NickiRusin]

vlanoik Damn, do I want one of those. I hear they are popular in Japan, is that true?

[@vlanoik]

No idea, I just know that if for some reason I throw my phone against the wall it probably won't break, and even if it did I could replace it for 20 bucks

[@thany3]

alameachan No monorails, but in the relatively near future we can enjoy maglev tracks in some parts of the world. I believe China has a few tracks built, and Japan is working on a east-west track. But still, they keep investing in steel rails, for reasons that should be fairly obvious. Monorail and maglev come with a couple of huge disadvantages. Hydrofoil is certainly not doomed, unless it's different from Jetfoil.

[@FoxDren]

thany3 disadvantage 1) you need new trains

[@ArnavDhamija]

The Concorde was the pinnacle of excellence in aerospace engineering for me. However, the planes weren't only retired due to high service costs. IIRC less than 20 Concorde airframes were manufactured in the 1970s and by the 2000s the airframes were closing in on their expiry date (Concorde was rated for only 40000 hours of service) and this concluded one of the greatest chapters in commercial aviation :(

[@thefrosty1925]

Arnav Dhamija Yep, now all we see is Boeing releasing videos of their new 77x series.. Which is exactly the same as the planes they made 40 years ago.. They should be ashamed for not pushing the envelope and still churning out the same crap. People bash Apple for doing it with their iPhones but at least with Boeing there's a lot of innovation and development to be made...

[@SadieB]

ThaGamer At the moment the biggest advances in Aviation are in Engine Technology. Hence the NEO/MAX/777X where new engines are giving massive fuel savings. The Geared Turbofan is currently where most interest is.

[@thefrosty1925]

Sadie B Oh wow.. 5% more fuel efficient.. Jee.. Really makes up for not having a mach 2 commercial airliner. Boeing should be ashamed and embarrassed for what they're doing. I would moan at NASA as well for looking at going to the Moon as an incredibly difficult project, nevermind Mars but at least they're trying their hardest with the limited resources and high amount of bureaucracy they have to deal with..

[@donkeyguy20]

so why do they still use the hovercraft there? Is there a reason other than a tourist attraction?

[@kirza94]

donkeyguy20 yeah i think thats pretty much it, other ways to the island are just small boats i suppose

[@AdvancePlays]

donkeyguy20 Well think about it. The service was already established and working well by the time other options like large bridges and tunnels were as feasible. It wouldn't be worth spending the time and money on a new method, especially since the traffic to and from the Isle of Wight isn't particularly heavy. There a few ferry services running at the same time, but the speed is useful for regulars.

[@TomScottGo]

Kirz94 There's a ferry for cars, but it takes longer and isn't that much cheaper. So for foot passengers in a hurry, this is worth it: you just turn up, get on board the next hovercraft, and it sets off moments later. I don't think you'd set a brand-new hovercraft service up now, but with the infrastructure already in place, there's no better alternative.

[@_AshTheBash]

Kirz94 there are huge ferry's that constantly travel between Portsmouth/Southampton & Isle of Wight that commute passengers and cars. Not really sure why this still operates but it is the fastest option

[@fallenangel3787]

donkeyguy20 I was raised on the Isle of Wight. I moved to America 6 years ago. I am in the process of moving back to my home town on the Island. The hovercraft is great. Its fast, relatively cheap compared to alternatives of car ferry. There is also the option of high speed foot passenger only catamaran but its not as fun as the hovercraft.... Haha!. They are able to keep their prices competitive with the catamaran so they keep passenger numbers up enough to keep the service running. It's only a matter of time however, The fleet is old and suffers from maintenance issues. There will come a time when it will not be cost effective. It will be a sad day indeed. There is no fixed link (tunnel, bridge etc) and it is a reasonably large public debate that shows up regularly amongst island residents. The Isle of Wight is VERY unique when it comes to habitat and environmental features. A bridge etc is unfeasible due to many of these factors as well as socioeconomic factors. For many residents of the island, It would ruin what they call home. The very fact it is not as easy to access as it could be is what draws many people to the island. The economy of the island is VERY tourist based (about 4.3 million passengers made the round trip in the year mid-2012 to mid-2013 on the various crossing options) and with easy, normal, simple access this will reduce its charm to the tourists that the island relies upon so greatly.

[@saltydiarrhea386]

How you put the past and present into an incredibly familiar contrast, is what allows me to learn immense amounts of information in just a few minutes. And for that, I thank you and your contributors.

[@Xenro66]

When I was really young, I lived right over the path of a Concorde... You could hear the sonic boom every now and then, and it was so cool. As for hovercrafts, they're just awesome, I don't know why people don't like them ^_^

[@namewarvergeben]

Jordan O'C I suppose many people like them, but as Tom explained, they are expensive.

[@droppedelbow]

Jordan O'C OVER the path of a Concorde? Are....are you an angel?

[@Xenro66]

namewarvergeben But what about all those snobby ass, stuck up billionares that piss away money on stupid stuff? This would be a way cooler thing to fund :D droppedelbow Under*... Oh you know what I meant :L

[@bothriolepis6744]

droppedelbow no his house is on really big stilts

[@JFHomehr]

Jordan O'C The best part about that was knowing which time it was when, because I was in school and the concorde would pass by 11/11:30 am, since I was living near the airport in france. :D It was indeed really cool.

[@alstorer]

Even the much more efficient, if somewhat slower, catamarans (much quicker than the conventional ferries) couldn't compete on the Dover Strait. When the ports and terminals are free of disruption, the combination of the cheap ferries and speedy Eurotunnel shuttle - both vastly higher capacity- simply leaves no room for a fast, low capacity operation.

[@Fummy007]

Tom, speaking of obsolete technology that was once thought to be the future. You could make a video about Airships. Like the R101 in the 30s. Airship Industries was constantly filling the airspace around Bedford with blimps in the 80s but went bankrupt. Now the new Airlander is being built in RAF Cardington, on of the largest hangers in the world, so they may be making a comeback.

[@Roxor128]

Fummy Airships with electric motors for propulsion and solar cells on the top could be an environmentally friendly way of transporting cargo. Cut down on the amount of jet fuel used for the job and reserve cargo planes for only the most time-sensitive deliveries, like radioactive isotopes for use in nuclear medicine.

[@theuncalledfor]

Neither hovercraft nor airships are obsolete. They can do things other technologies can't do, and are both unlikely to ever go away entirely. They're just less practical for most common applications these days.

[@kirra9152]

Airship can go with oversize cargo. The goverment would gladly accept as it will not weigh down on roads, provided the weather supports.

[@brianartillery]

I went on that hovercraft about a year ago, and also in the 1970's, when they were using the classic SRN-6 (the cross-channel ones were SRN-4). It was considerably quieter inside than outside, and one problem was that the wind in May 2015, was so strong, it was actually holding the hovercraft back, and we nearly had to stay a night in Portsmouth. Provided that the lift fan is guarded, being run over by a hovercraft would do no harm at all. In the 1973 Doctor Who story 'Planet Of The Spiders', there is a long chase using a small hovercraft. At one point, The Doctor, played by Jon Pertwee, drives his hovercraft, at speed, and for real, over a sleeping tramp, with no ill effects to the victim (probably stuntman Derek Ware).

[@PeterBuvik]

the concorde that crashed crashed in 2000 not 2003

[@TGXB]

There were two crashes

[@TomScottGo]

***** And that'll teach me to put my commas in the right place in my script. That should read "after one of the planes crashed, in 2003 the airlines decided...". Punctuation's important!

[@minihjalte]

***** Things you might not have know; commas are important?

[@Rwededyet]

Kalle Lindberg I'd rather eat Randy.

[@thoperSought]

Kalle Lindberg We invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin.

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

I was lucky enough to ride the HoverSpeed across the Channel way back in 1987. I was young, and what I mostly remember about it was the intolerable noise!

[@smokingspitfire1197]

+Tom Scott the concorde crash was Air France flight 4590, it happened on the 25th of July 2000. It was due to a stray strip of metal from the centre engine of a McDonnell Douglas DC10 that had taken off prior to the concorde. This strip burst a tire and due to the enormous pressure of a Concorde tyre it burst. This impacted a fuel tank that was full to the brim, pressure built up in the tank until eventually it burst spilling fuel over the engine and igniting. This was not the reason Concorde was de-serviced and not followed up (yet) with another supersonic bird. There were many noise complaints from Americans near airports (pesky yanks ruining British/French things as always) as well as the fact that you mentioned, fuel and cost. One day we will see another concorde. Airbus, I'm looking at you.

[@Novashadow115]

he said in a previous comment that he missed a comment there. It was supposed to say "after one of the planes crashed, in 2003 the airlines decided...."

[@benrobins8385]

That isn't actually why they decided to close the service, just one reason, they operated a few years after the crash of flight 4590, they closed after such a big rep for crashing was built onto the Concorde name, however goods knowledge on the details of the 4590 crash haha

[@brianartillery]

I went on the Isle Of Wight Hovercraft in May this year - it was packed with commuters, and people like me, who simply went on it because it was there, and I had been on it in the 1970's, when the hovercraft was an SRN-6. Great fun this time, even though the wind made the return crossing take nearly forty minutes. For someone of my age [52], I do feel conned. As children in the 1960's, we were bombarded with the promises of so much cool stuff [Hovercraft, Hypersonic aircraft, Moonbases, Passenger carrying Submarines, Jetpacks, etc.] virtually none of which has come to pass. We were afforded a glimpse of a bright future. Somewhere along the way, that future got cancelled.

[@TheDapperDog402]

brianartillery The laws of physics and of economics are harsh mistresses.

[@ant0n-yt]

I've been on those Hovercrafts loads of times! I had no clue it was the last commercial route! Guess I'm luckier than I thought. :)

[@farmvillepolice]

Quality video as always, Tom!

[@NotCallum]

I like how you got camera shots from both landing and taking off, did you mess around in the arcades :P I wish I was there to see you

[@juststeve5542]

Thank God for the 1970s, the world would be a lot duller without these contributions... Although if I were to be a pedant, Concorde was a product of the 60s... First flying in 1969.

[@juststeve5542]

Ah yes Leo Wattenberg​, but the cold war wasn't driving the production of more powerful locomotives like it was driving the development of the jet engine ;-) And some of those steam engines ran a faster schedule than the current diesel & electrics!

[@AnarchistMetalhead]

Leo Wattenberg that idea has more merit than you may think, considering the steam engine needs a steam exhaust, and the hovercraft needs a flow of above athmospheric pressure gas

[@coweatsman]

Leo Wattenberg Were they?

[@juststeve5542]

AnarchistMetalhead yes and no... The problem with steam is as you scale up, the power to weight ratio actually gets worse. You can make a model plane powered by a steam piston engine, and it'll fly, but you can't make a big one... But wouldn't that be a terrifying sight if you could! Belching across the night sky, sparks flying like some demonic beast!

[@charlieherbert7716]

I was there two days ago because my Grandma lives there! My Grandad was an electrician and he helped build the first commercial hovercraft there, apparently, he was the person who soldered the first wire! :)

[@Thiefree]

My late grandfather helped design / make those! Hope my lovely island was good to you x

[@bassisku]

Awesome video Scott!

[@pedropandemolde2928]

Thank you Tom, for regarding our lonely, sad, ignored island.

[@volvo-enjoyer]

ive been to the isle of wight twice both by ferry, and seeing hovercrafts go by is really quite soothing. im not sure why, it just is

[@safe-keeper1042]

Thanks to whoever took the time to make closed caption subtitles to display over the existing subtitles.

[@wildgoosespeeder]

I am very familiar with these methods of transportation all thanks to a game called Chris Sawyer's Locomotion. When the SRN4 Hovercraft and Concorde became available for the scenario I was playing and two dock or airports could get a reasonable amount of passengers waiting, passenger transport over water became a whole lot more viable along with airports and I dropped planes such as the 747 just to use the faster Concorde. What tipped me off is that the competitor AI love these planes when they become available and they gain profit really fast. Not many people liked it compared to Transport Tycoon Deluxe, but I feel it was a game that was wrongfully criticized. It's worth a look at least. Look for the game on Steam or GOG.com.

[@dude157]

The internet killed Concorde. Setting up a video conference may not have been the easiest thing in 2004, but it was cheaper than a same day return flight on concorde.

[@MrRobbPhoenix]

Wow, I've been there and seen the same one before, never knew I was looking at the only commercially operational one in existence!

[@Skorpychan]

I've taken those to the Isle of Wight a few times, and you CAN feel every wave. But it's quick, there's almost no infrastructure (just a slipway and terminal at either end), and works great as long as you don't use their car park. If you do, your car gets coated in salt spray. Park further down the seafront.

[@bugjuicer]

When I was a kid, I vaguely remember being on the massive one, going over to France for a holiday. Don't remember heaps, but somewhere, do have a photo of being on board. Also managed to get a nap in!

[@samuelshoesmith]

I didn't know it was the last one used otherwise when I was there I would have hopped on it. Next time! Love these videos Tom.

[@AndrewSmart32]

Awesome to see what I've been on once, it was over 5 years ago now, but it's great to see what I've once been on. And if I remember right, it was really bumpy!

[@thany3]

But perhaps, with modern technology, 45 years later, we can make hovercraft and supersonic airliners cheaper and more comfortable. Understandingly, looking at the past, few companies would be willing to take that risk, I imagine. Perhaps a step in the right direction is the JetFoil, a small passenger ship that I've used to get from Niigata, Japan, to a nearby island. These ships have a cruising speed of about 70km/h. They are comfortable, not very noisy, but still a little bit more expensive (understandably, because it services the same route with a car ferry side-by-side - a slower & cheaper option). You're not strictly required to remained seated, but you're expected to sit down when you can. Just like in a train, more or less.

[@stensoft]

thany3 We have technology to make hovercrafts and supersonics cheaper and more comfortable. But we have also developed other technologies even more cheaper and comfortable. Like hydrofoil boats you just mentioned. Or high-speed trains and maglevs.

[@thany3]

Jan Sten Adámek Still waiting for teleporters, or at least frictionless flight with electric momentum generators (I suppose like EmDrive, but efficient).

[@RobBCactive]

The key disadvantage of the Hovercraft was regular cancellation due to weather. They floated on the air cushion so on land wind had to be overcome by engine power. The big advantage is Hovercraft don't need port facilities. Actually it was very like an aircraft cabin, but a crossing of 22mi at a top speed of 70mph at sea meant there wasn't much time to not be seated. The windows were large, but sea spray and being lower than a large ship reduced the views. Contrary to Tom's expectations, the deep rubber skirt and cushion of air did absorb plenty of waves otherwise they would by have smashed themselves apart, but mechanical props and gas turbine engines made for noise and vibration like a helicopter. Those craft were massive, swallowing very many cars but were not capable of carrying HGV, which are a huge part of cross channel traffic.

[@Jonnyboy567]

I've lived on the Isle of Wight for 13 years, and it's took me to watching this video to find out that we had the only commercial route in the world. I knew they were rare, but I didn't know that it's the only one left. Makes the Island just that little bit cooler in my eyes. :)

[@jgcooper]

is it full of eels?

[@wintrwunderland]

spj Nope - been on it and there are no eels.

[@black5f]

Matches!

[@superjules2307]

I also understand that the intense vibration used to loosen bolts on vehicles, so a mechanic was needed to be on hand to refit any bits that had fallen off or become loose during the voyage/flight.

[@JoelGalilee]

I used this hovercraft to get to the Isle of Wight - I had no idea that it was the only commercial one in the world! Definitely a unique experience.

[@PikarinePlays]

I had no idea that was the only commercial one in the world! O.o

[@error-null]

Thank god for those subtitles

[@ThomasTrue]

In the late 1960s one operator ran hovercraft to Clyde coast destinations and the isles of Arran and Bute. However, this was just when cheap holidays on the continent were starting, and when many Glaswegians abandoned "gaun doon the watter" for Spain instead, the hovercraft business collapsed. The hovercraft Pride of Solent was trialed between Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy, Fife, ten years ago but was deemed too expensive to pursue. Apart from how noisy it was, I loved my trip in it. Another 'dream that failed' you may want to do a video about is the Advanced Passenger Train.

[@g4vft]

I think the Portsmouth - Ryde Hovercraft has survived because there is a lot of commuter traffic both ways. The crossing takes 40 minutes on the ferry, is pretty expensive and and hover takes only 10 mins. I think the islanders get a subsidy on their fare, though I could be out of date with that. Nice to see Tom in my my locality :)

[@sauravsarkar419]

We owe a lot to subtitles for this particular video.

[@OfficialBiltus]

I live in Portsmouth and had no idea that it was the only hovercraft service in the entire world... that's amazing.. I've been on that.

[@Slarti]

I travelled by hovercraft a few times back in the 70's and on a choppy sea it was like being on a roller coaster - that is, frightening to a young child.

[@sarajane5639]

Well that changes my travel plans for the weekend!!

[@LiamE69]

Years ago I went on a cross channel hovercraft. The weather was not quite rough enough to cancel the crossing, but close. It was a deeply, deeply unpleasant experience. Before we had left the harbour someone had thrown up down the back of my seat. By the time we got in about half the cabin had let their lunch go. And just to add insult to injury as it was so rough it couldn't even go fast.

[@RobBCactive]

I've been on ferries like that though, the smell of vomiting stimulates more vomiting. Getting fresh air on deck is the best way of not succumbing.

[@DanTheCaptain]

And another transportation related thing to put on my bucket list!

[@RobJess]

I love that hovercraft, genuinely didn't know it was the only commercial one in use. I used to go on it all the time

[@MathieuBouvier]

I actually did not know Hoovercraft weren't an option anymore to cross the Channel! Shoulda realized that because of the Tunnel, and also because you can now book a low-cost flight from I live (center-East France) to the UK for 100€ or so, round-trip...

[@MhLiMz]

Thanx for the subtitles :-)

[@tangerinealarm]

I recall in the late 1980s there were grand plans to operate a hovercraft service across Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, Australia. They had all these optimistic plans, but it was expensive and not much quicker than driving or public transport. Although running it across a bay did mean it was less choppy than open water.

[@FuturisticBagel]

I live on the Isle of Wight and I've been on it - it's not so bad!

[@pedropandemolde2928]

FuturisticBagel ayy

[@AdamGoody]

I’ve ‘flown’ this route, and yes you do feel every wave.

[@albertwarren641]

Well I didn't think I would see Tom in Portsmouth where I'm from, I've been on that hovercraft a couple of times and passed it a few more.

[@nikf3188]

You would've loved the nights I spent with the Engineers on the SRN4s that used to do Dover-Calais :)

[@ErkkiMattila]

What?!? Where is your infamous red t-shirt? I'm suprised that you have one with a different color.

[@Davemcfc]

We were on the beach in Portsmouth when the hovercraft air cushion thingy burst. My mum still describes it as the loudest noise she's ever heard.

[@SeptexGaming]

Tom looks different today :D

[@zodexyphr544]

I live on the opposite side of Portsmouth to where that thing lands and occasionally I can make out the very distinctive WHIRR the hovercraft makes. So yes, you're right when you say they're loud.

[@crsm42]

wish I knew you were coming to Portsmouth would love to have met you.

[@OmeGardian]

Man, put high pass filter in your videos where's lots of wind or contact noises. my whole appartment is shaking because of those low frequencies! anyway good job and keep them comming :)

[@ChrisPresswell]

Actually, I *believe* the Dover-Calais hovercraft did continue to hold its own against the Channel Tunnel, but it was the end of duty free that ultimately caused it to cease operations. I can't for the life of me remember where I heard this, though. I do remember crossing the channel in it a number of times as a child in the mid 90s, though, and just how much fun it was.

[@Gistedkudu]

it's been a couple of years but I rode on a commercial hovercraft up in Alaska just before it was going to open for public service. it was supposedly the lowest impact form for public transit and thus worthwhile to maintain. if it's still running then there is more than one commercial hovercraft still running.

[@GryphLane]

They were invented on the Isle of Wight too, just up the Solent at Saunders Roe in East Cowes.

[@daconor91]

Holy shit, I've taken the Portsmouth to Isle of Wight hovercraft a couple of times but had no idea it was the only commercial hovercraft in the world!

[@psychoalpha2]

Hello from Isle of Wight! :D

[@buddyltd]

I've been on that very hovercraft. It was a fun experience. But I thought they did more services elsewhere. Are there private charter services, or is that literally the last functional one?

[@aModernDandy]

We took a hovercraft across the channel in 1997- i was heartbroken because i desperately wanted to fly, now I'm glad i got to go on a hovercraft- and flying across the channel is a dull routine.

[@davidgillies620]

If all you've got is hand luggage, the hovercraft is actually a really efficient way to get from Ryde to Portsmouth (well, Southsea to be strictly accurate). Because the mainland hoverport is outside the principal harbour, you can keep speed up until you're a lot closer inshore than the catamaran.

[@zayneshomler1687]

Similar to zeppelins as well. At one time, they were the future. I love your vids man, keep up the awesome work!

[@neeneko]

Zayne Shomler Yeah, they were another example of a future hope that required cheap resources that simply did not pan out. Sadly we are probably looking at something similar happening with commercial space flight today. Everything hinges on advances (either technical or infrastructure) that have not panned out yet and might never.

[@zayneshomler1687]

It'd be nice if one day, these modes of transportation do come to use, hovercraft, airships, and commercial spaceflight are all a scifi lover's most beautiful dream.

[@NickiRusin]

Zeppelins do have their applications. If made with modern tech, they could carry a lot more cargo than planes going at the average speed of a helicopter. But their maintenance would be really expensive, and a landing pad for one of those would be huge.

[@coweatsman]

Zayne Shomler The future is always changing. I remember Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. Back then it was predicted that moon bases would soon be set up and man would be walking on Mars by 2000. There was going to be nuclear fusion and supersonic aircraft would fill the skies. Who knows what the future actually holds? Who can predict 2045? What technological hopes of today would have turned to dust by then?

[@thewuurm]

My small hometown had a hovercraft service for awhile, hustling tourists up and then back down the river year-round, which is a little more impressive in a place where the river is a foot of ice come January. I always thought the place went bust, but according to an article I found in the official newsletter of the "Hovercraft Museum Trust & the Hovercraft Society", flood remediation on the banks of the river made it impossible for them to get the hovercraft on and off the river. Kind of sad to think a big berm was all that stood in the way of a hovercraft service still going strong in 1999.

[@RooMan93]

I can see them from my house, so loud!

[@tobias4256]

I live near Portsmouth and I used to go on the hovercraft often as a kid and I had no idea they were so rare

[@mickyday2008]

I’ve travelled on both and can confirm they were both brilliant

[@pero1000000000]

There is still or at least was a hovercraft 2 years ago in Croatia as a faster alternative to ferry to transfer from Šibenik to nearby islands.

[@bigglessy]

I wish I'd been able to go on the hovercraft to the Isle of Wight. My parents decided to take the slower ferry instead :(

[@CBeaumontHIGTFY]

The Hovercraft also provides a valuable service to Royal Mail. If you stand at Southsea at around 5.30, there is a Royal Mail van waiting to collect the trolleys full of mail bags that come over.

[@albratgaming2348]

I can proudly say that... I have travelled on that hovercraft and to be honest... It is one of the great ways to travel. I went from the Isle of white to Portsmouth, then i went to the fairground, made a day of visiting Portsmouth and then took the Hovercraft back to the Isle of White. I was there on holiday with my friend and his sister / mother. Travelling on the hovercraft was awesome. But it was my budget for the day to travel on it. :P

[@billymanners9629]

I was sailing on the Solent and this hovercraft practically ran me down. It was terrifying.

[@ThePCguy17]

In middle school, some friends of mine created a mini-hovercraft with duct tape, a piece of cardboard, and a leaf blower. It didn't have any means of self-propulsion, but it was still a fun way to get around the school hallways.

[@Road-hog123]

If you're got the cash, there are two SR-N4s sitting at the Hovercraft Museum in Hampshire, complete with a few boxes of spares, that have been sat there since they were flown in from the slipway across the channel when they were sold to the museum. It might be possible to persuade them to let you restore them, but given that it costs £1,200+ an hour to fly them just in fuel, you'd better have a way of making a lot of money from the trips!

[@paycee17]

I absolutely love your channel but what happened with that vid ? Facts are cool but come on, the sound !! Keep the good work coming up (:

[@sporkafife]

I have nothing really meaningful to add to the conversation except "hey, I've been on that hovercraft!!"

[@HolyKhaaaaan]

And it was well worth it.

[@petermarsh4578]

I saw that hovercraft last week! What a coincidence :3

[@Hadraedan96]

So do they have an unlicensed, yet completely legal, pub operating on this hovercraft service?

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

I regularly travelled via The Hovercraft, to see my brother in Belgium. They were bloody enormous! 🙀

[@rockstopsthetraffic]

Interesting comparisons made. Not sure if we've seen the last of Concorde yet, though!

[@rvdm88]

i still remember my trip from Calais to Dover with one of those huge hovercrafts as a kid, shortly after they were decommissioned :( The most impressive part was where one of these beasts would appear in the distance, and then kept coming closer until it was on land and towering above everything.

[@TheDrunkenGunsmith]

here in canada, we still have a couple of hovercraft at our coast guard, one is quite big

[@HZStudio]

I have been on one of those hover crafts

[@click66]

Haha awesome, I was there last week. Let me know if you come to Southampton Tom, I'd buy you a drink!

[@paladinboyd1228]

I have been on that hovercraft baring bad weather it's a quick and comfortable way to get across to the island.

[@eatingsfun]

I enjoyed reading your video