All Galleries

Seaward end of the hoverpad

Terminal end of the hoverpad

Remains of an old wall at the site

One of the floodlights still in-situ

Viewed from the South, Boulogne hoverport terminal and its tower still standing

Looking out to sea and toward Boulogne's harbour

Markings still present on the tarmac

Boulogne Hoverport buildings

Heater/boiler system still half intact

An access corridor within the building

Electrical cupboard still present

Looking toward the exit doors inside the terminal building

Passeports sign still half visible

Chamfered edged exit door/gate of main terminal building

Inside the terminal building

Inside the terminal building

Lighting/electrical control panel for the hoverport terminal

Bathrooms

Outside the terminal building, to the South

Air conditioning unit, now united with the sandy beach below its original home

Front of the terminal building

Tower block, used for more modern purposes now, still standing on the old hoverport site

Tower block, used for more modern purposes now, still standing on the old hoverport site

Tower block, used for more modern purposes now, still standing on the old hoverport site

Tower block, used for more modern purposes now, still standing on the old hoverport site

Tower block, used for more modern purposes now, still standing on the old hoverport site

Parking lot

Ex-railway line route visible behind the terminal buildings

Rear of the terminal buildings

Approach road

Close-up of the gates to the terminal building

Boulogne docks

Viewed from the south, distant shot

Exit road

From the north

Train line viewed from the exit road

VA3-001 on the sands under way across the Dee estuary

Certificate of travel on the world's first hovercraft passenger service

Me next to an aerobatic Pitts airplane, on a trial aerobatics lesson run by Alan Cassidy (competition winning aerobatics pilothttp://www.worldaerobatics.com/)

Concorde G-BOAG being taxiied behind the BA engineering workshops at London Heathrow Airport

Dover Grammar School for Boys

Dover Harbour from the air

Dover Harbour from the Prince of Wales Pier

On duty with St John Ambulance at Kent's Hougham Village Fete, 2009

My parents quayside at Limehouse Basin, London, after a sailing trip up the Thames

The Princess Anne (GH-2007) and The Princess Margaret (GH-2006) on their penultimate day of operation. This photo taken at Calais hoverport

My wonderful halls in uni, Towers Hall, a 21-storey 1960's build concrete behemoth. Its stunning looks have seen its preservation as a Listed Building

Me taking video of a MD-87 SAS airplane coming into land at Heathrow Airport, 2001

Showing the boys the workings of an RJ85 at the City of Norwich Aviation Museum

Approaches from the east

Aims at the Daedalus ramp

Climbs the ramp

Aligning for engine shutdown

Engine shutdown

AP1-88 craft PENAC on hover

AP1-88 craft PENAC arriving at base

AP1-88 craft PENAC departing the slipway

AP1-88 craft PENAC arriving as seen from away from the slipway

AP1-88 craft SIYAY from in-front

AP1-88 craft SIYAY at sea, off hover seen with crane deployed

AP1-88 craft SIYAY departing the base

AP1-88 craft SIYAY cruising the coastline

An AP1-88 arriving at the slipway of the once BHC factory in East Cowes, Isle of Wight. (Photo in Croome, 1984)

An AP1-88 in cruise during a Southsea to Ryde crossing on the Solent (Photo in Croome, 1984)

Close-up of a bow thruster on an AP1-88. This (starboard) thruster and its counterpart (port) can be rotated through 360°, allowing precise control of yaw when stationary or in motion. Fed by bleed air from the lift system these bow thrusters are aligned facing aft during cruise to give maximum thrust. Here they are shown rotated to the starboard aiding in lateral movement on land. For braking, they can be swivelled to oppose the direction of travel of the craft, and act akin to thrust reversers

Courier, seen here at Ryde after being purchased and shipped from Hovertravel Australia. Since this picture, Courier has been used in Spain and America on passenger runs (Photo: David Ingham)

Double-Oh-Seven arriving on the ramp at Portsmouth (Photo: David Ingham)

Freedom 90 arriving at the then enlarged Ryde slipway on the Isle of Wight at low tide (Photo: David Ingham)

Freedom 90 in 2006 in a new livery (Photo: David Ingham)

Freedom 90 leaving Southsea hoverport (Photo: David Ingham)

Island Express seen landed at Ryde (Photo: me)

Island Express seen landed at Ryde (Photo: me)

Here is the first ever built AP1-88/80 prototype, Tenacity (GH-2087) leaving Ryde in 1983. Ryde slipway was more curved and a lot smaller then, only enough room for two craft, unlike today when they can fit four craft on the slipway (Photo: David Ingham)

AP1-88s at Ryde Hoverport

GH-2114 Freedom 90 at Ryde

GH-2114 Freedom 90 departing Ryde

GH-2114 Freedom 90 departing Ryde

GH-2114 Freedom 90 departing Ryde

GH-2114 Freedom 90 departing Ryde

AP1-88 hovercraft arriving at Ryde Hoverport from the air

AP1-88 hovercraft arriving at Ryde Hoverport from the air

AP1-88 hovercraft arriving at Ryde Hoverport from the air

AP1-88 hovercraft arriving at Ryde Hoverport from the air

AP1-88 GH-2114 Freedom 90 from the air

AP1-88 GH-2114 Freedom 90 from the air

GH-2114 Freedom 90 arriving at Ryde

GH-2114 Freedom 90 arriving at Ryde

GH-2132 Island Express arriving at Ryde

GH-2132 Island Express arriving at Ryde

GH-2132 Island Express arriving at Ryde

GH-2132 Island Express arriving at Ryde

GH-2132 Island Express departing from Ryde

GH-2114 Freedom 90 mid-Solent

GH-2114 Freedom 90 mid-solent

Freedom 90 and Island Express crossing mid-solent

Freedom 90 and Island Express crossing mid-solent

GH-2114 Freedom 90 mid-solent

SRN4 hovercraft at the Hovercraft Museum, in HMS Daedalus site, Gosport

SRN6 Twin-Prop hovercraft at the Hovercraft Museum

Hovertravel AP1-88 arriving at Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 arriving at Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 departing from Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 departing from Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 departing from Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 departing from Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 departing Ryde hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 departing Ryde hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 mid-Solent towards Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 mid-Solent towards Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 arriving at Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 arriving at Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

Hovertravel AP1-88 arriving at Southsea hoverport as viewed from the Spinnaker tower

An ASRH-GB training day on the grass in daedalus, Lee-on-Solent, Hamphire, UK

ASRH-GB training

A performance check after a recent engine change to increase the craft's performance

Performance check

ASRH-GB's stall at the veterans day show at Southsea Common

The craft being walked out of arena so as not to blow people over

Dusty testing at HMS Daedalus

Pilot Dave Beard, a hoverheight test

Giving a demonstration at HMS Sultan summer show

Volunteers at a flood reponse call in Wraysbury

Craft coming into shore, ready to go up the slipway down at hardway, Gosport, Hampshire, UK

BAA Heathrow Fire Department's old Hoverguard 80 at the Hovercraft Museum

BAA Heathrow Fire Department's old Hoverguard 80 at the Hovercraft Museum

BAA Heathrow Fire Department's old Hoverguard 80 at the Hovercraft Museum

Looking aft along the port-side of BH7

The rear fin showing the distinctive P235 tail markings

Overhead panel for BH7

Main instrument panel

Main instruments and some of the centre console

View forward from the cockpit across the Solent

Front cover

Introduction and cutaway diagram

Specifications and general arrangement drawings

Vehicle and seating arrangements

BHC Integrated Aerospace Technology pamphlet cover

Centre-fold pages showing the SRN4 under construction, with inset images

Inset image - SRN6 centrifugal lift-fan under construction

Inset image - man riveting an SRN4 lift-fan, the world's largest centrifugal fan, together

Inset image - Boeing 737 Galley. BHC was a subsidiary of Westland Aerospace, who made parts for aviation companies all over the world, such as Boeing and Bell

Inset image - Wessex nose fairing. From the Westland Wessex Helicopter, famous in the helicopter world and especially known for its Search and Rescue operations from the British RAF

Inset image - Lynx floor assembly from the agile Lynx helicopter

Public open day of the first SRN4 under construction, without bow doors or skirt

Public open day of the first SRN4 under construction, without bow doors or skirt

Public open day of the first SRN4 under construction, without bow doors or skirt

Public open day of the first SRN4 under construction, without bow doors or skirt

SRN4s and N500 on the pad at Calais Hoverport

SRN4s and N500 on the pad at Calais Hoverport

Calais Hoverport land-side of the terminal building

Calais Hoverport seaward-side of the terminal

Vehicle entry gates

1969 - The Railway Station

2005 - The Railway Station

1979 - Front of terminal buildings

2005 - Front of terminal buildings

1979 - Oblique shot of terminals from arrivals/departures lounge

2005 - Oblique shot of terminals from arrivals/departures lounge

1983 - SEDAM N500 and SRN4 on hoverpad

2003 - Hoverpad in 2003, devoid of hovercraft

1983 - Boulogne hoverport as viewed from the hills East of it

2005 - Boulogne hoverport as viewed from the hills East of it

1986 - Craft coming and going

2005 - The empty hoverpad in 2005

Boulogne hoverport in the 1970s

Concorde at LHR (Geoff Marshall)

Concorde at LHR (Geoff Marshall)

Concorde at LHR, 2002 (Stuart Pearce)

Concorde at LHR, 2002 (Stuart Pearce)

Concorde at the Queen's Golden Jubilee, 2000 (Andy Rice)

Concorde at the Queen's Golden Jubilee, 2000 (Andy Rice)

Concorde at the Queen's Golden Jubilee, 2000 (Andy Rice)

Virgin Atlantic Concorde Caricature (Rob Henderson)

Concorde at Aldergrove 2003 (Wilson)

Concorde at Aldergrove 2003 (Wilson)

Concorde at Aldergrove 2003 (Wilson)

Concorde at Aldergrove 2003 (Wilson)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Andy Dunn)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Andy Dunn)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Andy Dunn)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Andy Dunn)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAC at Birmingham 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAC at Cardiff 2003 (Kevin Galliford)

G-BOAC at Cardiff 2003 (Kevin Galliford)

G-BOAC at Cardiff 2003 (Kevin Galliford)

G-BOAC at Cardiff 2003 (Kevin Galliford)

G-BOAC at Cardiff 2003 (Kokoro)

G-BOAC at Cardiff 2003 (Kokoro)

G-BOAC at Cardiff 2003 (Kokoro)

G-BOAG at Manchester 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAG at Manchester 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAG at Manchester 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAG at Manchester 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAG at Manchester 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAG at Manchester 2002 (Matt)

G-BOAG at Manchester 2002 (Matt)

Concorde at Manchester 2002 (Ross C)

Concorde at LHR (Mark Eslick)

Concorde at LHR (Mark Eslick)

Concorde G-BOAG departs LHR for JFK (Photo: me)

Concorde G-BOAG departs LHR for JFK (Photo: me)

Concorde G-BOAG departs LHR for JFK (Photo: me)

Concorde G-BOAF departs LHR for JFK (Photo: me)

Concorde G-BOAF departs LHR for JFK (Photo: me)

Concorde G-BOAF departs LHR for JFK (Photo: me)

Daily Mail map of London Heathrow for Final Day of Concorde 2003

Daily Mail map of London Heathrow for Final Day of Concorde 2003

AP1-88 Front General Arrangement

AP1-88 Side General Arrangement

AP1-88 Top-Down General Arrangement

AP1-88 Isometric projection

Townsend Thoresen ferry passing just before the Port Control building of the Eastern breakwater

Overview of Dover Eastern Docks, complete with submarine pens and just a couple of berths

Detail of Dover Eastern hoverport, where now stands a lorry park and Berths 7 and 8

Hovercraft arriving

Hovercraft arriving

Hovercraft arriving

The two Seaspeed SRN4s on the pad

Seaspeed SRN4 departing from Dover Eastern hoverport

Seaspeed SRN4 departing from Dover Eastern hoverport

Seaspeed SRN4 departing from Dover Eastern hoverport

Night time shot of the Eastern Docks at night from Langdon Cliffs

Looking across Dover harbour, with Burlington house silhouetted in the foreground in front of the then hollow Prince of Wales Pier, before the new hoverport was built

The site where once stood a proud icon of 1980s technological dream

The site where once stood a proud icon of 1980s technological dream

The site where once stood a proud icon of 1980s technological dream

The main terminal buildings, slowly reducing to rubble

From the carpark, not much left standing

No more engineering sheds anymore

The last structures of hoverspeed engineering

As seen from the entrance road. No terminal building remains

Just a propeller left standing, and the customs building

Just a propeller left standing, and the customs building

The Hoverport building by the clocktower at the end of Marine Parade

The Speedferries sign, Hoverspeed logos having not been displayed here for many years

Cars used to cross each other departing and arriving from hovercraft to and fro Calais

Looking back toward Marine Parade and Granville dock from the hoverport roundabout

Do not enter! Now a demolition site

Barricaded off, the old multi-million pound Dover Western Docks Hoverport building, devoid of any identifiable logos

The side-road to the engineering sheds

Still visible, signs pointing drivers to the car park

Looking along the length of the Prince of Wales Pier, the hoverport to the right and the Seacat gantry visible beyond the green fences

The holes in the wall, many a child ran up to these (myself included) every time the high-pitched whine of a hovercraft starting up was heard

A more modern addition, the steps for little people!

Shelter overlooking the hoverpad. Once there were six SRN4s on that stretch of concrete!

Looking toward the engineering sheds down the Seacat gantry's vehicle ramp

The Hoverport building, now silent. Spot the control tower!

The Seacat gantry and hoverport apron plus buildings beyond it

The ramp, where 300-tonnes of flying machine slid into the English Channel without a splash

The Seacat vehicle gantry

Panoramic shot of the Dover hoverport apron

Dover harbour from the air (James Rowson)

Dover Western Docks hoverport as seen from the roundabout at the top of the approach ramp (James Rowson)

Hoverspeed logo lit up on the gantry spanning the entry-exit lanes (James Rowson)

Looking back toward Dover Western hoverport from the Prince of Wales pier, note the Seacat moored to the pier on the right (James Rowson)

Sprucing the place up. An engineer thought to place a propeller at the entrance to the terminal building (James Rowson)

Sprucing the place up. An engineer thought to place a propeller at the entrance to the terminal building (James Rowson)

Sprucing the place up. An engineer thought to place a propeller at the entrance to the terminal building (James Rowson)

Four craft on the pad at Dover hoverport (Nigel Thornton)

The Princess Margaret undergoing her final deep-service before retiring (James Rowson)

Certificate of travel on the world's first hovercraft passenger service

Stop press! Note about the VA3 to editors and journalists

Stop press! Note about the VA3's closed-circuit television cameras to provide rear-view capability to the pilot

A group of officials including Mr. Harry Parry (in white) greet the crew of VA3-001 upon its arrival at Rhyl in 1962

A group of officials including Mr. Harry Parry (in white) greet the crew of VA3-001 upon its arrival at Rhyl in 1962

Prepared for trial at Itchen, one of the bases of Vickers-Armstrong Ltd

High-speed trials on the Solent

The VA.3 on choppy seas undergoing cross-tide trials

Cruising off Netley Beach

The VA-3 proves its true amphibian nature using its two turbo-props to get it onto land

Flying Fish hovercraft at Farthingloe Farm

BAA Fire Department's Hoverguard 800

BAA Fire Department's Hoverguard 800

BAA Fire Department's Hoverguard 800

BAA Fire Department's Hoverguard 800

BAA Fire Department's Hoverguard 800

GH2005 (Sure) with damaged skirt, limping away from the sandbank at Broadstairs under full power

SRN4 approaching the engineering sheds, ready to align with the seven hydraulic jack rams to be raised up for skirt maintenance

Empty car-deck, being sorted for the evening

Raised up on jacks to further than hover-height, allowing easy skirt access

In-situ and still warm, the inner starboard engine, Engine No. 2

Propeller and fin in the paint shop, ready for fitting to a craft

Rolls-Royce Proteus engine waiting in the shop, ready to be swapped out with an operating engine if needed

Fin re-spraying in the paint shop

Looking aft along the craft, partially raised up on jacks

Inside the skirt of the SRN4 whilst on ramps

The hydraulics control panel for the seven jack rams, to raise this 200+ tonne craft nearly 30 feet into the air

One of the seven hydraulic rams keeping the SRN4 above our heads!

The Princess Margaret (GH-2006) within protective wrapping for her annual deep maintenance

The Princess Margaret (GH-2006) within protective wrapping for her annual deep maintenance

The car deck of the SRN4 equipped with spare parts, the craft now retired from service

Access to the aftermost electronics bay, just to the side of the port air inlet above the lift-fan

Electronics bay complete with colour-coded three-phase supplies

Lift fan on the car deck for spare parts - note the size of it compared to my hand!

Terminal building

Looking across The Solent toward Gosport and Portsmouth

Arriving at Southsea hoverport

Arriving at Southsea hoverport

Arriving at Southsea hoverport, front view

Tracking into the wind at Southsea

Spray-covered arrival at Southsea

At Southsea

Departing as seen through the windows of Southsea Hoverport

Powered down - view from Southsea Hoverport arrivals lounge

Resting on the pad at Southsea

Cockpit

Aft luggage compartments

Bow thruster

Inside the passenger cabin

Looking toward the forward passenger compartment and the cockpit access steps

Looking toward the cockpit from the forward windows

Solent Express at Ryde

Me next to Solent Express

Solent Express with AP1-88 Island Express

Looking toward Solent Express from Ryde hoverport's breakwater

Passengers boarding at Ryde

Bow thruster pointing aft in flight

Lift air intake, mid-Solent

On approach to Southsea, still doing 34mph

Landed at Southsea, aft shot

Simon flying Steam Boat Willy

Closeup of lift fan and duct

Chris in the hotseat

Simon directing and Chris flying the machine

Chris in full hover

Underside showing skirt construction and finger attachments

Closeup of fingers and air outlets in the bag skirt

Underside with skirt deflated

Liverpool Echo Supplement about the VA3. Page 1

Liverpool Echo Supplement about the VA3. Page 2

Liverpool Echo Supplement about the VA3. Page 3

The world's first hovercoach - advert for the VA3 service from Rhyl (Wales) to Wallasey (England)

Aerial shot of the VA3 running on the Dee estuary

Being loaded from the Vickers Armstrong base at Southampton for transport to Firth Fisher

Being transported from Birkenhead by ferry

Souvenir picture of the Wallasey-Rhyl VA3 service

Labelled diagram of the VA3 as seen in the newspapers

Leasowe slipway

Returning to Rhyl from Leasowe

VA3 in front of the Liver building, on the River Mersey

Travelling up the Mersey under her own steam

Leaving Rhyl

Rhyl beach, surrounded by holidaymakers

The Vickers-Armstrong team responsible for making the first hovercraft service possible

Ticket for travel on the VA3, the world's first hovercoach

SRN4 Swift

SRN5 cargo deck

SRN6 twin prop on snow

Griffon 8100

SEDAM N500

SRN6

CC5

N6 Twin Prop

N6 Twin Prop

Royal Marines Griffon 2000TD

Royal Marines Griffon 2000TD

Ralph Arrow's LCAC

Ralph Arrow's LCAC

Petrol Powered by Alan Smart

Mercedes-Benz air-conditioning-powered shag-pile skirt land-only craft by Larry Hodgson

Semi-scale Association of Search and Rescue Hovercraft GB

SRN6 model hull in construction

Griffon 600 - Fun model by Rob Hiseman

Griffon 600 with Becker rudder, by Jim Ritchi

Griffon 2000TDX by Jason Collins

Griffon 2000 by Fran Oakley

Griffon 2000TDX by Tony Middleton

Griffon 2000TDX by Tony Middleton

Griffon 2000TDX by Tony Middleton

Griffon 2000TDX as used in the Royal Marines by Stan Robinson

Griffon 2000 by Tim Stevenson

Model Hovercraft Association desk at the Hovershow

Mark Porter's SRN6 Well Deck

Mark Porter's SRN6 Well Deck

Mark Porter's SRN6 Well Deck

Mark Porter's SRN6 Well Deck

Magnet attached to diesel's wheel

Original breadboard and single-layer cage, with reed switch