Partially aerostatically supported ram air cushion ship

A transport method for multimodally transporting payload from an origin location, comprising the steps of:

• (i) enabling a boarding payload to be accommodated in a transfer vehicle at an origin location, wherein said boarding payload comprises at least one of (a) a first plurality of passengers and (b) a second plurality of items of at least one of cargo and baggage;
• (ii) bringing together said transfer vehicle with a partially aerostatically supported ram air cushion ship that is a water-based flight in ground-effect vehicle with at least three payload decks, floating on a water body at a mating location;
• (iii) mating said transfer vehicle to said partially aerostatically supported ram air cushion ship utilizing a mating apparatus configured to contiguously connect said transfer vehicle to said partially aerostatically supported ram air cushion ship;
• (iv) enabling boarding transfer of at least a portion of said boarding payload from said transfer vehicle to a payload accommodating compartment in at least one of said payload decks in said partially aerostatically supported ram air cushion ship, through a boarding transfer path;
• and
• (v) transporting said boarding payload in said partially aerostatically supported ram air cushion ship on a travel path as commanded by at least one of crew and a vehicle control and navigation system, said travel path including a water takeoff phase with a positive airspeed wherein said partially aerostatically supported ram air cushion ship is said flight in ground-effect vehicle supported in part by an aerostatic lift force and in part by an aerodynamic lift force leveraging a ram air cushion between a lower surface of said partially aerostatically supported ram air cushion ship and an Earth surface.