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Take the world’s most unusual vehicle for a spin around the countryside.
WORDS BY PIERS TOWNLEY / PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY FRENCH
The geese are as nervous as the rest of us. Faced with what amounts to a giant hairdryer with seats, the prospect of skimming a hovercraft across water and land at 40mph starts to hit home. This will not be as easy as learning to ride a bike.
The brains behind this thrill-seeking business, Jo and Alex, offer a chance for everyone to pilot these bizarre machines on their land and water course, just outside London. The Hovercraft (or ACV—Air Cushion Vehicle) is like nothing else you’ve driven.
“Technically it’s flying,” explains Alex. “When we did the research for the sport, we found it difficult to pinpoint what a hovercraft is classed as. With its reliance on aerodynamics, it had to lie alongside aircraft-type descriptions.” This makes more sense when you have a go at piloting it yourselves…”
After a whiz round the course with Alex in perfect control, he takes us all on a trial spin of figures of eight, just to make sure we’re not going to stack his beloved ¤22,000-worth of machine into the hedgerow. There’s a bit more of the physics lesson then it’s our turn.
 A customised microlight aircraft engine feeds air through ducts at the rear and alongside the rudders and also downwards into the 65-segment hovercraft skirt. With enough throttle, and therefore enough air, the skirt inflates and begins to lift the craft from the ground. It’s a really strange sensation. “A cushion of low-pressure air is created,” enthuses Alex. “It creates very little friction. But because it steers from the rear, the amount of balance and counterbalance sliding that comes into force when you’re moving takes a while to get used to. Just aim for the reeds over there and put it into a full turn…”
 Aiming for the reeds is easier said than done. The craft speeds towards the bank, buffeting the ground and giving a slightly wobbly sensation, as though you’re sitting on a huge blancmange. “The trick is to anticipate the turns in advance,” yells Alex over the two-way radio. “There are no brakes, no gears and no reverse! It’s like a see-saw that can move in all directions when you’ve got the speed up. The fan will thrust you in the right direction but sometimes you’ll be travelling in the opposite direction you want to go. That freaks people out.” He’s not wrong. Swinging the hovercraft side-on before the steep descent down the bank at the far side of the course is the way to set up for the slope into the lake. You can’t help but brace for the impact, your brain expecting one hell of a thud of fibreglass on water, but none comes. With full throttle (and a leap of faith) we’re soon skimming out onto the water and spinning a full 360 degrees in a James Bond-worthy turn. Even the geese look jealous. www.glide3.com
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A lot of hot air