Neoteric Hovercraft Blog

Sugar Creek Cruise — Hoverclub of America (Sept 27, 2025) By Neoteric Hovercraft On September 27, 2025, hovercraft enthusiasts gathered at Reeder Park in Montezuma, Indiana for the long-awaited Sugar Creek Cruise hosted by the Hoverclub of America. The day was a perfect blend of nostalgic cruising through covered-bridge country, technical camaraderie, and hands-on demonstrations of lightweight rescue and recreational hovercraft. Neoteric was proud to attend and hovering our Hovertrek™ Inline Seat 4 Passenger Rescue Model and to demonstrate why Neoteric craft remain a favorite of rescue teams and recreational pilots worldwide. Founded originally in 1960 and registried in 1976, Neoteric is the original light hovercraft manufacturer and our patented reverse-thrust system gives unmatched maneuverability for precision work such as pond spraying, rescue access, and tight waterway operations. Sugar Creek’s winding waterway, shallow shoals, and scenic banks make it a perfect venue to show the versatility of hovercraft. The craft’s soft surface footprint and ability to transition from water to land without damage make them ideal for conservation-sensitive shoots, access to isolated banks, and practical tasks like precision spraying or shoreline inspections. Six hovercraft made it all the way upstream to Turkey Run State Park about 45 miles round trip, two craft experienced mechanical difficulties on the return trip but both were successfully retrieved. Midday cruise through the covered-bridge stretch, pilots swapped tips on skirt care, throttle setups, and accessories. Several craft performed low-speed precision maneuvers to demonstrate spray and rescue capability. In the afternoon, the pilots and guests reviewed the day’s footage and discussed upcoming events in the Midwest hovercraft calendar. Below are the individuals who attend at Sugar Creek: • Chris Fitzgerald-Founder / Chief Executive Officer / Neoteric. Neoteric pilots and staff participated in demos • Jason Kuehn — Founder & President, Hoverstream LLC (long-time industry figure and Hoverclub of America board involvement). Hoverstream attended/exhibited and Jason was visible in event postings and industry coverage. • Marquis Songer — active hovercraft community member; listed as Machine Tool Technology Program Chair / educator, Indiana Ivy Tech. Marquis is also a long-time hovercraft enthusiast and contributor to club activities. • JianJun Huang —Attend as an engineer at Neoteric Hovercraft. • Terry Chapman • Larry Weirich • Gary and Terry Jensen • Dan Heidel Thanks to the Hoverclub of America and everyone who made the Sugar Creek Cruise a spirited and enjoyable event. If you attended and would like your photos or helmet-cam clips included in the Neoteric video, please email them to team@neoterichovercraft.com with the subject line “Sugar Creek Cruise – Media”. We’ll credit contributors and ask for permission before naming people in captions.