[paulmd]

I mean, it is conceptually kind of a nerve-wracking thing to fly. It's a plane that is constantly two seconds from nailing the ground/sea and crashing. And as you're ripping along at 300 mph you have to constantly scan for any ships that might be in your way, because you can't just fly over them.

One of the noted problems with it was pilot fatigue, for exactly this reason.

[nradov]

Ground effect aircraft are usually designed with enough extra power available that they can temporarily climb to higher altitudes to avoid surface obstacles or high waves, at the cost of increased fuel consumption.