Dover to Calais SRN4 Hovercraft Last Flights 1/4

[avrovulcan617]

Power just sheer bloody Power

[colinclarke1000]

I remember the £1 "french flyer" standby tixket offer of the early 1990s...nip over...grab some duty free...fly back on the same craft...then if you were quick enough in dover (and there was space) do further trips...

[rhancock1231]

Thanks so much for posting this! I crossed the Channel on one of these in 1979 - I was 13. The weather was so rough that day they had to suspend service. But we had already left, so we had to make it across. Hail hit the windows like golfballs - and it was August! - and the waves were so high, it was like riding a roller coaster. Thanks to great pilots, we made it safely across (but it took well over an hour). Unforgettable. What a ride, what magnificent machines! Wish I could go on one again...

[Amathusukx]

These 2 Hovercraft are supposed to be being refurbished and put back into service in Canada.

[colinclarke1000]

Living in close proximity to the channel ports I have crossed to France Belgium and Holland by a variety of means and the hovercraft was THE best way to go.

[baldandold]

we waited at calais for the hovercraft one foggy morning, visibilty was abou 100 mtrs, we could hear it, but couldnt see it, it loomed out the fog on the apron, dropped down and the ramp came down, our 5 yr old lad was wide eyed and gob smacked, was either 1998 or 1999

[postie2003]

Nobody who appreciates engineering and sheer power can fail to be impressed by these things.

[ptaaffe]

thank you for uploading !

[nixcails]

Great video.. happy memories of the worlds largest hovercraft

[nixcails]

Great video.. happy memories of the worlds largest hovercraft

[Surcouf1789]

Why are these crafts no longer in operation?

[VeronavilleFilms]

@Surcouf1789 Because it is too expensive to run. Replaced by SeaCats for last few years then Hoverspeed ceased to exsist in 2005.

[SteamMad]

@VeronavilleFilms the hovercrafts were profitable they got rid of them because sea cats held more cars no joke

[Sterlingjob]

I know what i would have done with £56 million euro lottery!

[pusserhill]

Nice work! It's years since I saw those machine run out of Dover and Pegwell Bay. They were something else!

[frglee]

The best way of crossing the Channel...drive on drive off and were quicker than le shuttle through the tunnel because boarding and unboarding was not such a fuss...They were also quite stylish,a bit like being on a plane, and fun to ride in and even in rough weather were fast...the Seacats that replaced them were not a touch on the hovercraft...because boarding and unboarding could take ages.Also the Seacats were slower and more vomity in bad weather. In the end Hoverspeed went under..

[whitewingsrich]

Shame the SRN4's aren't used any more. i know they were gas guzzlers but they were also the only hovercrafts capable of carrying cars in traffic across the channel

[pegjh]

Petrol head heaven - they define awesome! Thanks for posting.