VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Welcome to the future! Hovercrafts aren't just in movies and television shows: They're a crucial piece of our Navy, including at Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek Virginia Beach.
“I mean it's a 90 foot hovercraft. It's nothing like I’ve ever seen before,” said James Weber, an Electronics Technician Chief Petty Officer. "I didn't even know what this was until I applied for the program.”
ETC Weber navigates the Landing Craft Air Cushion, and said, “We push about a million cubic inches of air a minute down into the bag."
Think of "the bag," as an inflatable raft. The lift fans shove the air into the bag, causing the craft to hover about two to four inches above ground.
“When we come on cushion [and] when you get thrown up in the air, that is such a weightless feeling,” said Weber.
Weightless feels like an oxymoron considering when it's fully loaded with people, weapons systems, and equipment, the LCAC weighs more than 180 tons, or nearly 360,000 pounds.
“We can take 60 tons, throw it on deck and throw it seven feet in the air like it's nothing, and then we cruise to 35 knots [which is 40 mph],” said Weber.
The hovercraft is designed to move from land to sea in a seemingly sweeping motion. According to the Navy, the air cushion on an LCAC allows it to reach more than 70 percent of the world's coastline, while other boats only access about 15 percent.
There are five crew members on board: the Craftmaster, Engineer, Navigator, Loadmaster, and Deck Engineer.
Together, the entirely enlisted crews use the LCAC for transporting, ship-to-shore and across the beach, personnel, weapons, equipment, and cargo of the assault elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
“We were part of the Afghanistan pull-out, so all the Marine equipment that was on the ship, we ended up bringing that to shore to help them assist with that pull-out,” said Weber.
Weber said training includes two schools, seven to eight months of training and then live flights.
“We get trusted with so much responsibility. The captain says, ‘Yeah you're good to take this multi-million dollar craft and go fly it out on the bay or go fly across the world,' because once we leave that well deck, it's only us five,” he said.
Weber said there are only about 50 navigators in the area that are qualified to take lead of the LCAC, which reinforces the importance of trust with fellow sailors and the amphibious equipment.
"It's surreal because you gain a real respect for flying these things," Weber said.
Weber is from Chesapeake and graduated from Hickory High School.
Click here to learn more about what is required to pursue a career with the LCAC crew members.
