Hover in Essex

For most of us, hovering a few inches over the ground without actually being in a helicopter seems like something that could be done only by James Bond or Michael J. Fox, or maybe Casper the Friendly Ghost.

A Glide3 rider experiencing a thrill like none other.

There are no wheels, no brakes, and no reverse - just 9 inches of air between you and the ground.

In Essex, England, however, you don't have to be an actor (or apparition) in order to experience the sensation of piloting a vehicle that will let you jet around without wheels or wings.

Just 40 miles outside central London, the Glide3 Hovercraft Experience is waiting for you.

"I think people are slightly fascinated by this vehicle. Few people have gotten close and personal with one. It's never quite as you would expect," says Alex Woodroffe, 32, Glide3's Director and a hovercraft instructor.

How does the thing work? There are no wheels, no brakes, and no reverse — just 9 inches of air between you and the ground, on this vehicle which is powered by a fan. Once you get the basics down, you’ll head out on the hovercraft course that sits on a 6-acre lake. Bring a buddy because Glide3 has two hovercrafts for heads-up racing. They attract a wide range of people from 75-year-olds to teenagers to a British race car driver (although usually not all in the same race).

Despite being a British-based company, the birth of Glide3 is very much a universal story. Woodroffe was a software engineer at a dot-com start-up that lost some of its luster after the Internet bubble burst. After seeing a hovercraft at a London boat show, he wondered why no one was offering driving lessons to the public.

"'Eureka,' I thought. 'I bet there's a fair few people who might like a go at this.' And so Glide3 was born," says Woodroffe. Since then, along with his partner, Jo Locascio, he's been making a living by literally blowing hot air.

When you get out on the course, expect it to feel a bit like a helicopter ride on the initial takeoff. In order to steer a hovercraft, you'll have to lean with your whole body. Get ready for some serious 360s.

Can't make it to England but feel like recreating that feeling in your bathtub? You can always pick up a remote-controlled hovercraft for indoor fun.

Or, take that money you'd spend on flying overseas and get your own life-sized hovercraft for the lake nearby. Better yet, buy two. (How else would you get to the first one if it breaks down?)

Then you can just pop over the pond on your hovering vehicle and visit Woodroffe yourself. And you won't have to worry about renting a car once you hit land.

"In a hovercraft," says Woodroffe, "I find it so natural to drive [over both] water and land that occasionally when driving round in a car I have to remind myself not to take the water shortcut."

Posted on September 04, 2006