Say “hovercraft”
and the first word that comes to most people’s minds is “fun.” But hovercraft
are much more than that. Besides saving lives in rescue operations, Neoteric hovercraft
are used throughout the world in a wide variety of critical commercial
operations - including oil spill cleanup, environmental restoration, gold
mining, mosquito control, wildlife conservation and commercial fishing.
All these
uses have one common factor: these Neoteric commercial hovercraft are all expertly
operated and maintained by pilots trained at Hovercraft Training Centers.
As one
example, meet James Walker, an HTC-trained
commercial hovercraft pilot for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., the largest
provider of dredging services in the U.S.
James’
training and GLLD’s Neoteric hovercraft soon proved their value in an
environmental restoration project on Pelican Island, a key barrier island off
the coast of Louisiana. Pelican Island, one of American’s richest fisheries, is
crucial for protecting Louisiana citizens and property against storm surges,
but it has one of the highest rates of wetlands loss in the world.
 |
Here, James Walker and his team learn to conduct a preflight inspection during their HTC training,
adjusting rudders for maximum precision during flight.
|
“If one block of New York City disappeared
every hour, the nation would be outraged,” states Louisiana Congressman
Cedric Richmond. “Well, Louisiana loses a
football field of wetlands every hour, which is crippling the state and the
nation. It affects our seafood supply, gas and oil reserves, and storm
protection. Reversing this trend is a critical national priority.”
With the
help of James and GLDD’s Neoteric Hovercraft, the Pelican Island project is
creating more than 580 acres and 3 miles of new dunes and marshland for the
people of Louisiana.
… and you’ll never again think of
hovercraft as just for fun.
