Only one more day to see a Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft in flight at #FDIC2022!

Today is the next-to-the-last day of the FDIC. And it was a busy day at Neoteric Hovercraft’s FDIC Outdoor Booth 19403 – where every half hour, attendees watched a rescue hovercraft take flight …

Coincidentally, one FDIC attendee who visited our booth today is closely connected to Neoteric's history. Neoteric Founder/President Chris Fitzgerald (right) was a founder of the Hoverclub of America in 1974 … and visitor Michael (left) is the son of another founder of the Hoverclub. Michael has spent his life in the fire service and is now a Fire Chief.

This is just one association between fire departments and Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft. Fire Chief Michael explains why there should be closer connections between firefighters and hovercraft … 

As Maritime Reporter and Marine News reported in 2014: "Hovercraft have a growing role to play in search and rescue, commercial and military operations around the world. Hovercraft can be a practical proposition for operations in areas inaccessible to other vehicles including frozen water, mud flats, intertidal areas, shallow rivers and flooded inland areas. Perceived to be environmentally sound, as they don’t exhaust into the water, create no wash and do not disturb the sea bed, they are also economical and do not endanger marine animals as there is no propeller in the water."

There are so many more reasons why hovercraft are necessary for safe and successful search and rescue operations. In brief,  hovercraft do not suffer from outboard motor or propeller damage – which are big problems with Jon Boats, inflatables and anything that has a prop under the boat. Beneath a hovercraft there is nothing but a 9-inch deep, soft cushion of air. Because they travel above the surface on a cushion of air, hovercraft fly over obstacles rather than colliding with them. A hovercraft can fly over a bird nest full of eggs – or even a human being – without doing any harm!

 And, unlike boats, the Neoteric Hovercraft hull is filled with US Coast Guard-approved closed-cell foam, which prevents sinking.

Over the Neoteric's 62 years of existence, our hovercraft have proven to be quite possibly the safest rescue vehicle ever built. And #FDIC attendees, you have only one more day to visit Neoteric Hovercraft's Outdoor Booth 19403 to see why this is so!

See Fire Rescue Agencies worldwide that use Neoteric Hovercraft ...

See how safety can be sexy with Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft at FDIC International!

Today at the FDIC, David Page, Director of the Prehospital Care Research Forum at UCLA, addressed attendees on “Bringing Light to the Dark.” His speech focused on three tenets: safety, service and smiles.

Page said, “Safety first, of course … So I’m on a quest to make safety less fuddy duddy and more sexy! If safety were sexy, I think more of us would think of it - in fact, some of my partners would not stop thinking of it … If safety were sexy, more of us might practice it, study it, maybe even get good at it.”

This made us recall the time a woman and her husband took their first flight on a Neoteric Hovercraft, and afterward (to the dismay of her husband!), her first comment was “That was better than sex!”

Now let’s check out what happened today at Neoteric’s FDIC Outdoor Booth 19403 …

Here, attendees see how Neoteric’s patented reverse thrust system works. It allows our rescue hovercraft to brake, back up, fly backward and otherwise outmaneuver every other hovercraft on the market. Reverse thrust is essential for hovering on ice and swift water ...

Here are a few more photos of the activities today as first responders from throughout the world learned directly from Neoteric Founder/President Chris Fitzgerald ... 

Be sure to stop by Neoteric's FDIC Outdoor Booth 19403 tomorrow to see a rescue hovercraft in flight ... and see for yourself how safety can be sexy!

Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft set to fly at FDIC International

Neoteric is ready to go! Are you ready to join us tomorrow at FDIC Outdoor Booth 19403 to see the most versatile rescue apparatus available? Come watch a Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft in action and see why it’s the safest, quickest way to rescue water, swift water, ice, mud and flood victims.

Here are three Neoteric Hovercraft leaving our manufacturing facility this morning in Terre Haute, Indiana on their way to the 2022 FDIC International in Indianapolis …

And here’s a closer look at the newest Neoteric model, the Hovertrek II, powered exclusively by the Briggs & Stratton Vanguard BIG BLOCK 40.0 Gross HP EFI marine engine. The new engine delivers significant fuel savings, higher horsepower and less noise and vibration, without adding extra weight. You can be one of the first to closely examine the new Neoteric Hovertrek II tomorrow through Saturday at the FDIC …

You’ll also have a chance to meet some fire departments who rely on Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft. On Thursday, firefighters from Michigan’s North Muskegon Fire Department will join us. North Muskegon has relied on Neoteric Hovercraft for nearly four decades, and says “Our hovercraft have saved more lives that all our fire engines combined. Since 1985, more than 255 people have been rescued from Muskegon area lakes using the hovercraft. More than half of them would have drowned not having the hovercraft as a safe rescue tool."

North Muskegon Fire Department's Neoteric Hovercraft

Then on Saturday, come meet firefighters from Indiana’s Brownstown Fire Department. Here, the department shows how easily their Neoteric Hovercraft flies from water to land …

And here we are this evening at our FDIC Outdoor Booth 19403, ready to welcome you tomorrow and answer all your questions about rescue hovercraft …

In his inspiring speech today at the FDIC International Opening Ceremony, FDIC Education Director Bobby Halton said, “We are living in very serious times; some say we are going through hard times. Amid these hard times, there is a robust and spirited tactical debate happening in the fire service. It surrounds the needs of victims, their rescue, firefighter safety, and operations.”

 We hope you’ll visit us at the FDIC to see that this is exactly what Neoteric Hovercraft are all about: increasing firefighter and victim safety and improving rescue operations.

Learn more about Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft ...

Attention: First Responders attending #FDIC2022

Does your department still depend on ropes, boats, divers, etc. for water, ice and mud and snow rescues? If so, you’ll definitely want to come to FDIC Outdoor Demo Booth 19403 this Thursday through Saturday to experience a Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft in action and see first-hand how it will vastly improve the safety, ease, speed and success of your rescue operations.

Flat bottom Jon boats and other propeller-driven watercraft are of questionable use in shallow water, swift water, flood, ice and mud rescues; they can pose a serious danger to you and to the lives you’re tasked to save. But a Neoteric hovercraft flies 9 inches above any surface, keeping you above the danger – not in it. It quickly takes you into areas where no other vehicle can go, and it’s the only hovercraft with the ability to brake, back up, and fly in reverse – critical capacities in rescue operations.

But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what just one of your fellow fire departments has to say about their Neoteric rescue hovercraft …

Neoteric is once again honored to be the only hovercraft exhibitor at the Fire Department Instructors Conference. That isn’t surprising, since Neoteric is the world’s original light hovercraft manufacturer, in business for more than 60 years, with customers in 50+ nations around the world.

Just as FDIC International is a one-of-a-kind experience, so will be your visit to Neoteric Hovercraft Outdoor Demo Booth 19403 this Thursday through Saturday at the FDIC. Don’t miss this chance to learn what a Neoteric Hovercraft can do for you – and to meet Neoteric Hovercraft Founder/President Chris Fitzgerald in person. You’ll never meet anyone who knows more about rescue hovercraft, and he’s eager to answer all your questions!

Learn more about Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft ...

New Neoteric Hovercraft Powered by Briggs & Stratton Marine Engine

The newest Neoteric Hovercraft – the Hovertrek II – will be exclusively powered by Briggs & Stratton’s Vanguard BIG BLOCK 40.0 Gross HP EFI – marine engine.

The Hovertrek II was designed with affordability, controllability and sustainability in mind as Neoteric continues to provide rescue agencies worldwide, as well as recreational and commercial customers, with the only hovercraft available that can brake and fly in reverse.  

The craft's design features many of the advantages and innovations brought to market by Neoteric over the years, including side-by-side seating, increased thrust and low weight. 

Neoteric turned to Vanguard’s electronic fuel injection (EFI) technology to optimize fuel injection and spark timing to deliver significant fuel savings, greater efficiency and higher productivity. Those who purchase a Hovertrek II will also have access to the expansive Briggs & Stratton service dealer network.

“The Vanguard BIG BLOCK 40HP EFI marine engine is an ideal power source for this craft because it allows us to expand into markets with more stringent environmental regulations,” said Chris Fitzgerald, president of Neoteric Hovercraft Inc. “Briggs & Stratton also has a robust global network of dealers that guarantees technical support pretty much anywhere in the world. That level of access is a real feather in our cap when it comes to supporting our hoverpilots and addressing their customer service needs promptly.”

The durable 40HP EFI engine delivers optimized performance for marine applications and utilizes V-Twin OHV Technology for better fuel economy and higher horsepower without adding excess weight. The Hovertrek II is used for transportation on a variety of surfaces, including water, sand, mud, grass, swamp, marsh, flat desert, ice and snow, and the 40HP EFI marine engine delivers fuel more efficiently to ensure a smooth performance at all elevations and in all temperatures. The engine is also equipped with features to minimize noise and vibrations while maximizing productivity to ensure quick, reliable starts in all weather conditions.

“We are excited to partner with Neoteric on the Hovertrek II with the BIG BLOCK 40HP EFI engine providing the proven power, durability and efficiency needed to help Neoteric break into new markets,” Amy West, Marketing Manager for Briggs & Stratton, said. “As a power solutions provider, Vanguard is committed to working closely with OEMs to achieve their equipment goals through cutting-edge technology advancements and versatile product offerings to meet a wide variety of application needs.” 

The enhanced controllability, storage capacity and low weight of the two-passenger vessel make it an ideal training vehicle for first responders and rescue units as they teach individuals how to operate a hovercraft for rescue missions. All the unique features of the Hovertrek II and low cost combined with the power of the BIG BLOCK 40HP EFI marine engine offers hovercraft pilots a safe and reliable ride no matter what surface they encounter.

ATTN: FIRST RESPONDERS:

 See the Neoteric Hovertrek II and its new engine

April 28-30 at the Fire Department Instructors Conference

(FDIC International) in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Neoteric will hold live hovercraft demos at Outdoor Demo Booth 19403.