Cleveland Browns: 0 … Hovercraft Halftime Show: Touchdown!

Over the weekend, Windy Knoll Golf Club’s two Neoteric HoverGolf™ Carts were the star of the show at the Cleveland Browns-Cincinnati Bengals game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Windy Knoll was the first golf course in the U.S. to own official replicas of Bubba's Hover, Bubba Watson's BW1 hovercraft golf cart.

Steve Stafford, flight instructor at Hovercraft Training Centers, organized the hovercraft halftime show and described the action:  “At halftime, we fired up the hovercraft and flew around the field. Next, we each raced a passenger around some flags to the other end, where they got out and donned pink bunny suits,” he reported. “Then they both got back in, were hovered back to the starting point, where they each had to change bunny suits with their partner. After switching suits, both partners were flown back to the other end zone. The first one back got first choice of a gift held by each of the mascots. Both gifts were all-expense paid trips to upcoming football events.”

No fumbles in the hovercraft action! But the game itself was another story. Fans and media alike praised the hovercraft halftime show over the game.

The Wall Street Journal, in “Johnny Football Gets Deflated” wrote: “At halftime, people in pink bunny costumes raced hovercraft on the field. This was the highlight of the afternoon.”

A fan Tweeted, “Hovercraft race at halftime in Cleveland. It is approximately 400 times more interesting than the football game so far.”

The Washington Post  reported the live action, writing at halftime, “I am sure hovercraft racing at halftime will make fans forget all about what they just witnessed,” then after the game reported, “Alas, not even the hovercraft could help turn the momentum Cleveland’s way in the second half.”

In the end, the Bengals rolled past the Browns in a 30 – 0 rout. But the Neoteric HoverGolf™ Carts were a definite winner!

Enjoy a few photos below of the hovercraft scoring points …

At Cleveland's FirstEnergy Stadium, Windy Knoll's Neoteric HoverGolf™ Carts wait to enter the field:

In the Cleveland Browns' Dawg Pound, the hovercraft golf carts are ready for their halftime performance:

Left to right: Crew member Jody East, pilot Steve Stafford, pilot Preson Aleshire, and Cleveland Browns mascot Brownie the Elf inside the hovercraft:

Cleveland Browns mascot, Chomps, squeezes inside one of the Windy Knoll Neoteric HoverGolf™ Carts:

Touchdown! The Neoteric Hovercraft golf carts fly the race contenders during the halftime show, capturing more positive attention than the game itself:

Read more about Windy Knoll’s Neoteric Hovercraft golf carts …

Nine inches above the Wabash

The Daily Republican Register recently published the following article about a week-long advanced flight training session conducted by Neoteric and Hovercraft Training Centers for an official from the Albuquerque Police Department. The training was assisted by first responders from the White River Hazleton Fire Department and their Neoteric rescue hovercraft.

Check back soon for full details and a photo gallery!

By Amber L. Nixon

MT. CARMEL - Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. came to the Wabash River early Thursday morning to train several members of their one-week program.

The trainers, Chris Fitzgerald and Steve Stafford, have been giving advanced lessons to the group on the technique of piloting the craft both day and night, the mechanics of how the craft works and learning how to navigate swift water.

Albuquerque Police Officer Andy Montoya traveled from New Mexico to refresh his memory on the practices as well as learn how to pass on the skill.

“I finally had the chance to train with Neoteric up here, and since I hope to retire in a few years I need to be able to train others to eventually take my place,” said Montoya.

The group of trainees was out on the Wabash all day Thursday, staying until after dark to learn how to use night vision scopes and practice night rescue operations.

The White River Hazleton Fire Department have been involved in the past with three hovercraft rescues along the Wabash River, as well as several Gibson and Knox County rescues.

Mark Ellis pilots the White River Hazleton Neoteric hovercraft with other members of Hazleton’s Volunteer Fire Department during the training on the Wabash Thursday morning. The craft hovers nine inches above the water and makes it easier to maneuver in shallow waters, meaning it can be an invaluable tool in rescue. 

The volunteers consist of at least seven people who have had experience with the hovercraft, two of which are accompanying Chief Mark Ellis in the program with Fitzgerald and Stafford.

With the hovercraft balancing nine inches off the water, their experience can come in handy with the more advanced training over the rest of the week.

“The crew needs to know how to maneuver the hovercraft and how their movement can affect it,” said Ellis, “It can be very important in rescue.”

Although balance has to be watched while on the craft, those nine inches can be a definite bonus in rescue.

“The hovercraft can go right over a log, rocky shallow waters, sand, mud, you name it,” said Ellis.

The versatility of the craft has become a vital tool in rescue throughout the years and, as with any tool, it will continue to be used to its best advantage with well-trained professions.

Behind the scenes: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s Hovercraft Race

NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. has risen to a new level of racing – on vehicles without wheels! Recently, Ricky was flown by helicopter to the headquarters of Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. and Hovercraft Training Centers, LLC, where he participated in a hovercraft race on Lazy L Lake in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Filmed by ESPN for a special feature, the race was sponsored by Coca-Cola’s Nos Energy Drink. Besides Ricky, the drivers included Danica Patrick’s father T.J. Patrick, the Terre Haute Coca-Cola distributor, and two very happy Nos fans who won the chance to participate.

Hear what Ricky has to say about hovercraft at the finish of the race in the raw footage below … then enjoy an album of behind-the-scenes photos!

Hovercraft: new flexibility for Wilderness Place Lodge

Wilderness Place Lodge in Lake Creek, Alaska has the honor of being one of the top five salmon and trout fishing lodges in the state. But in their quest to be the best, co-owners Cory Wendt of Madison Wisconsin and Jason Rockvam of Clancy, Montana found a way to make it even better. That’s what led them to Neoteric and Hovercraft Training Centers.

The Lodge, located on Lake Creek River, offers some of the finest spin and fly fishing in Alaska. But the river and its surrounding streams have gravel bars, pinched-off oxbow backwaters, shallow areas and midstream islands – areas that boats and other vehicles can’t reach. And, as Cory says, “If one point is an impasse for our guests, it spoils the trip.”

To overcome these limitations, Cory and Jason explored their options and decided to add hovercraft to their fleet of 18-foot boats. But why hovercraft rather than other vehicles, such as airboats? “I don’t think airboats are that great. We wouldn’t use one. Our guests wouldn’t come; it would be too loud. They come up to get away from everything and airboats are just deafeningly loud,” Cory explains. “A hovercraft is the practical tool to get us from point A to point B.”

To determine whether 4-passenger or 6-passenger hovercraft would work best for them, Cory took advantage of our Fly Before You Buy opportunity and came to us for Test Flights on Neoteric craft at Hovercraft Training Centers.

After his Test Flight on a 6-passenger craft, Cory (center) and his father Bob Wendt (right) board a 4-passenger Neoteric HoverTrek for their flight on the Wabash River with HTC instructor Steve Stafford (left) …

And they’re off – joining a 6-passenger HoverTrek giving a Test Flight to a different group …

Before landing onto the boat ramp, Steve gives a final demo of how the Neoteric reverse thrust gives our hovercraft their extreme maneuverability. (And no, he didn't lose a passenger on the river! The two Test Flights in progress switched passengers downstream.) …

After touring the Neoteric factory and taking two Test Flights, during which Cory had the opportunity to take the controls, he was impressed with the flexibility of the HoverTrek. “It was smoother than I expected. I didn’t expect it to be able to go through all the mud and sticks. I figured all those sticks would break up the air flow, but they didn’t.” And it was certainly quieter than an airboat!

And he quickly grasped the importance of training. “I didn’t fully have an appreciation until I drove it; it started to feel more like an aircraft. I could understand why training is important – I’d read it and heard it but didn’t really appreciate it until I was at the controls.”

The season opens in June at Wilderness Place Lodge. And whether they’ll be flying with 4 passengers or 6 passengers, the guests will enjoy something new and exciting this year – a Neoteric hovercraft to easily take them wherever they want to go.

And the staff will enjoy the added convenience and safety. Currently they have to run boats to a village 25 miles away just to pick up their mail. And since they also operate as rescuers if there's an incident, a hovercraft will serve them well. He and his guests will feel much more secure with a Neoteric hovercraft - used by first responders throughout the world - on hand for safe and rapid rescue operations.

Visit Wilderness Place Lodge

Learn more about Hovercraft Test Flights

U.S. Navy LCAC Craftmasters Evaluate Training on Neoteric Hovercraft

Hovercraft Training Centers, which trains exclusively on Neoteric hovercraft, is investigating the possibility of the U.S. Navy using Neoteric craft for initial pilot training for LCACs (Landing Craft Air Cushion) and the new generation of SSCs (Ship-to-Shore Connectors.)

Currently, LCAC Craftmasters are trained using simulators, following by final training in actual LCACs; from what we are told this is a costly protocol with low retention rates. According to information gathered from the Navy’s Virginia Beach hovercraft training base, it costs the military approximately $200,000 per trainee. Each trainee spends approximately 100 hours in simulators, which cost $800 per hour to operate. Trainer LCACs operate about 150 hours per year, which costs $7,800 per hour. And the current dropout rates for Craftmasters, Engineers, Navigators, and Loadmasters ranges from 15% to 65%.

Last spring, Neoteric President and HTC founder Chris Fitzgerald was invited to the U.S. Navy Assault Craft Unit 4 in Virginia Beach, where half the Navy’s fleet of 72 LCACs are based. There, he visited with Craftmaster Trainers Andy Sutter and Dave Convery to study and learn about the LCAC training protocol and to determine if HTC could assist in improving the current program. He also had the opportunity to operate a simulator and to pilot a 100-ton, $22 million LCAC - with no previous training other than his experience piloting light hovercraft. After his flight, Fitzgerald observed, “I found it relatively easy, and that was with no advance instruction. I had no trouble getting over the hump, operating in a straight line, turning, modulating speed, stopping. I attribute that to my experience piloting smaller light hovercraft; it was pretty much second nature.”

Fitzgerald’s visit to ACU4 confirmed his theory that light hovercraft could benefit the Navy’s LCAC training program. In contrast to the Navy’s protocol, military aircraft pilots are initially trained in light aircraft, then move directly to heavy aircraft. Following this protocol and using light hovercraft for initial LCAC/SSC training is likely to be a much more efficient and cost-effective method.

As the next step in this exploratory mission, Craftmaster Trainers Andy Sutter (now retired) and Dave Convery traveled to Neoteric and HTC headquarters to undergo a Standard Training Course in order to judge and advise whether or not light hovercraft could be applicable to heavy hovercraft training. First, they underwent classroom and maintenance training, after which Convery observed, “Compared to ours, light hovercraft are nothing maintenance-wise.”

Here are a few photos from their training course …

Chris Fitzgerald (center) leads Andy Sutter (left) and Dave Convery (right) through a preflight inspection on an HTC Neoteric training hovercraft …

With a thumbs-up, Sutter takes off on his first flight in a light hovercraft, with Chris Fitzgerald at the controls …

Through wireless headsets, each Craftmaster listens to the other’s entire flight training session. Here, Convery listens to Sutter’s flight …

Sutter takes the controls, while Fitzgerald provides constant feedback and instruction …

The Neoteric Hovercraft’s reverse thrust system caught Sutter’s attention even before his first launch: “I was impressed when Chris spun the craft around and backed it up to the trailer.” Here, he learns to operate it himself …

At the end of his flight training session, Sutter easily transitions the craft from water to the boat ramp …

Dave Convery (left) and Andy Sutter (right) accept their HTC Pilot Certifications from Chris Fitzgerald …

Both Craftmasters felt that their day of training was productive and that it enabled them to experience the differences – and many similarities – between light hovercraft and heavy military hovercraft. “I felt very comfortable; it’s very similar to what we teach. Before I came here I was skeptical that flying this hovercraft could help anyone fly an LCAC. But flying this craft, using the thrust buckets, it does help,” Sutter said.

And Convery agreed, “The training session was excellent. I really enjoyed it and I’m very enthusiastic about what this craft does.” He added, “It’s sensitive; I expected it to be a little more reactive, but not like this. When you put the controls in, you are gone. In that regard, it’s the same as ours. It’s like an air hockey puck. When you push an air hockey puck across the table, it goes until it bounces off something. And that’s what’s going to happen without this training.”

Sutter and Convery's visit solidified the premise that light hovercraft could play a role in the LCAC/SSC training program. Should the U.S. Navy utilize Neoteric Hovercraft and Hovercraft Training Centers to streamline their training protocol, it would improve the cost/benefit ratio of training for the Department of Defense. It would also lower the high attrition rate by serving as an inexpensive way to qualify future LCAC/SSC Craftmasters and Navigators. And, since Neoteric hovercraft easily capture public attention, they're an excellent public relations and marketing tool that would boost the success of the military’s recruiting efforts.

See photos of HTC founder piloting a 100-ton Navy LCAC …

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Neoteric Hovercraft: Fly before you buy

Because Hovercraft Training Centers conduct all their Training Courses and Test Flights on Neoteric craft, you have the perfect way to find out if a hovercraft is right for you before you commit to buying one. Here’s a perfect example of how that works …

Bill Hopkins, a retiree from Kansas, has been flying most of his life – hang gliders, helicopters, airplanes. “If it’s flyable, I like to fly it,” he says. But when he started building his second aircraft, he learned that because of his asthma he couldn’t renew his pilot’s license. “And my wife told me she’d just as soon I stay on the ground. But I want to stay at least a little bit off the ground,” he explains, “That’s how I came to hovercraft.”

But Bill knew nothing about hovercraft, so his first step was to enroll in a training course at HTC. As this experienced pilot explains, “There’s more to flying than just jumping in the cockpit and taking off … you need somebody to show you how to do it.”

Bill Hopkins (left) accepts his Hovercraft Pilot Certification from HTC Senior Instructor Chris Fitzgerald (center). Bill’s friend David Raynolds (right) accompanied him during his training course ...

At the Wabash River training site, Bill learns how to conduct a thorough preflight inspection before launching the hovercraft ...

At the controls, Bill learns every maneuver possible in the hovercraft, including how to get over the hump …

With Chris Fitzgerald providing constant instruction and feedback, Bill learns to operate the Neoteric training hovercraft’s reverse thrust. This patented feature gives all Neoteric hovercraft the unique ability to brake, fly backwards and hover in place …

Bill’s thoughts at the end of his training day? “It went fine, very enjoyable. I didn’t know anything about them, so I learned everything! I might consider buying one with that reverse thrust if you have one here and I could take it home with me.”

He found just what he wanted. Here’s Bill Hopkins’ hovercraft, purchased from our Trade-In Showroom, which he plans to use for lake and river cruising and fishing – and, of course, staying off the ground!

Want to fly before you buy? 
Take a Training Course or Test Flight to see if a hovercraft is right for you!

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VIDEO: Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft Training in Viet Nam

As Hovercraft Training Centers’ Senior Instructor, Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald is in Hanoi, Viet Nam this week conducting flight and maintenance training for first responders from Viet Nam’s National Department of Rescue and Relief, as well as personnel from Tuyet NGA Co. Ltd.

Two Neoteric Rescue hovercraft were purchased by Tuyet NGA, a security and rescue equipment supplier, which will be used by the National Emergency Response Team – a great asset in a country often beset by monsoons and floods.

Watch a video of Fitzgerald demonstrating the unusual maneuverability the reverse thrust system gives to all Neoteric hovercraft as flight training begins on Suoi Hai Lake at the Emergency Response Training Facility near Hanoi …

Learn more about Hovercraft Training Centers …

Hovercraft: A dog's best friend

Hovercraft not only serve a valuable role in animal rescue – they can also be a source of entertainment for man’s best friend! Enjoy a flight on Lake Havasu in Gary Meyers’ Neoteric hovercraft with his dog Joey – sporting Mutt Muffs and sunglasses …

Joey enjoys the hovercraft so much, he’s been named the Official Hovercraft Training Centers HoverPup!

Want to enjoy your own hovercraft flight? Here's how ...

Outer Limits Hovercraft Tours: A Level Above

It’s only fitting that the most ‘above and beyond’ hovercraft adventure tours in Florida had their genesis at Neoteric Hovercraft in Terre Haute, Indiana – a city whose motto is “A Level Above.”

After searching for something unique to add to their parasailing and WaveRunner tour business, Ron Michaels and Ryan Peacock, owners of Outer Limits Hovercraft Tours on Marco Island, Florida, decided that a Neoteric hovercraft was the ideal addition. “We were looking for something a bit different. We started looking on the Web and there you guys were – something to offer other than WaveRunners and typical boat rentals,” explains Peacock. So they took a demo ride and quickly decided that a Neoteric craft was their niche.

And there’s nothing typical about their hovercraft. “We came up with an “outer space-ish design and had the craft vinyl heat wrapped.” … 

Capt. Ron Michaels with his Outer Limits 6-passenger Neoteric HoverTrek™.

Why did they choose a Neoteric hovercraft? “We wanted a very specialized craft,” Michaels explains. And after taking a demo ride, then a training course on a Neoteric craft at Hovercraft Training Centers, Peacock said they were most impressed by “the ease of handling the craft. It’s just incredible how there’s no transition; from land to water you don’t feel a thing. It’s amazing!”

“The maneuverability of these high-tech, lightweight craft allows the captain to fly inches over the surface of water or land,” says Michaels. “Riders are always impressed with the transition as the craft hovers
from water over the sand and back over the water again.”

They were also impressed with the Neoteric hovercraft’s low environmental footprint. “This is a super sensitive environmentally friendly craft. Absolutely no pollutants go into the water and there’s no propeller under the water that could harm marine life. It’s a great way to protect manatees and other animals from getting hit by boats,” says Michaels.

Their decision was certainly based on experience. They both “pretty much eat, sleep and drink watersports.” Michaels is a licensed U.S. Coast Guard Captain with more than 45 years of experience on the water. A Hobie Cat and windsurfer instructor and parasail boat captain, he has also run WaveRunner tours, kayak excursions and boating adventures.

Besides offering 30-minute Hovercraft Thrill Rides and 2-hour Eco Adventure Tours through the scenic Ten Thousand Islands, as Michaels recently told Coastal Breeze News, “We offer a very specialized craft that is the only one of its kind in this area. We encourage enquiries and are able to design private trips. Not many can say they have taken a flight on a hovercraft and we hope to change that. Let us take you to the Outer Limits!”

Visit the Outer Limits Hovercraft Tours website

and follow them on Facebook.

What do you think about this unique hovercraft? Leave a comment below!

And why not take your significant other to a level above with a

hovercraft joyride as a Valentine’s Day gift!

How about a hovercraft joyride for Valentine’s Day?

Here’s a way to let Cupid take flight like never before: Give your significant other the gift of a joyride on a Neoteric Hovercraft – the makers of Bubba Watson’s hovercraft golf cart! This is a chance to hover like Bubba on water and land at the headquarters of Neoteric and Hovercraft Training Centers in Terre Haute, IN.

Here you can learn more about Neoteric Hovercraft from Wealth TV’s Emmy-nominated Jenn Barlow, host of Boys Toys:

Ready to give the most unique Valentine’s Day gift ever? There’s no better way to hover into your lover’s heart than a flight on a Neoteric Hovercraft! Just click below to register and we’ll contact you within 48 hours to schedule the flight for the date of your choice. Then we’ll email you a gift certificate to enclose in your Valentine’s Day card.

Register now and let Cupid take flight! 

For ice rescues, “The Neoteric hovercraft – and training - are essential.”

How can a rescue agency determine if a hovercraft would improve their first responders’ rescue capabilities – especially in ice rescues? An excellent way is to take a hovercraft flight training course. That’s exactly what the University of Wisconsin Lifesaving Station decided to do.

The UW Lifesaving Station provides rescue services for more than 40,000 students and the citizens of Madison who frequent the nearby 4-by-5-mile Lake Mendota. But as Supervisor Chris Kleppe explained, “We have no ice rescue capabilities at the Lifesaving Station – none whatsoever. We need to have some way to get out there to someone who might be in trouble – especially the ice fishermen because they have to travel across unsafe ice to get to the safe ice to fish. ATVs won’t do that. Once we saw a fisherman out on a hovercraft - okay, the light went on.”

Sean Geib, Assistant Supervisor, added, “We’ve learned there’s no such thing as common water sense. You’d be surprised how many people will walk out onto unsafe ice. There’s no worse feeling than watching somebody fall through the ice and being unable to do anything to help them.” He continued, “We came across the Neoteric website and it seemed like you had the complete package – reverse thrusters, length of time in the industry, etc., so we decided to pursue this.”

But to let them make sure a hovercraft will suit their needs, Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald, also Senior Instructor at Hovercraft Training Centers, urged Sean and Chris to undergo pilot training on a Neoteric hovercraft before they placed their order. They agreed: “We know from just operating our rescue boats that the more training you have, the better you’re equipped to help someone out in emergency situations where your adrenaline is running high. We both also understood that a hovercraft is not a boat; this is something completely outside our realm of knowledge, so we decided it would be both advantageous and fun to get the training.”

Their training took place at HTC headquarters in Indiana on a freezing January day – showing them hands-on how well a hovercraft operates on ice. Below, view photos of their flight training, then read what they had to say about their training …

Neoteric President/Senior HTC instructor Chris Fitzgerald (right) shows Sean the easy operation of Neoteric’s specially designed hovercraft trailers, which permit lightning-fast loading and unloading by only one person
in demanding rescue operations - where time is critical.

Chris Kleppe (left) and Sean Geib (right) receive thorough preflight instructions before their first flight training session.

Both trainees and the instructor wear wireless headsets so the trainees receive constant feedback and instruction throughout their flight sessions.

At the controls, Chris Kleppe experiences why a hovercraft is the only vehicle able to safely perform rescues
on thin or broken ice – and prevents first responders from having to enter icy water.

Chris Kleppe learns how to operate the HoverTrek’s reverse thrust system, which makes it
the only hovercraft with the ability to brake, hover in place, and back up at more than 25 mph. 

The HoverTrek’s unusual buoyancy is demonstrated. This buoyancy gives all Neoteric hovercraft  incomparable stability, enabling passengers to move around with danger of the craft tipping – extremely important in rescue operations.

Sean (left) and Chris (right) receive their Hovercraft Pilot & Maintenance Certifications from  Chris Fitzgerald (center).

After their training, we received the following email from Chris Kleppe describing their experience:

“We both felt the training was very important. Floating on air is the best way to describe how it felt to me. Certainly the feeling was completely different than any other vehicles that I have piloted. Most surprising was the need to think way ahead of any maneuver that was made. Without the training, I could foresee a future disaster by way of a crash. To anyone trying to pilot the craft with no training I would say, ‘DO NOT DO IT.’ Plain and simple.

The hovercraft would be a useful tool for the Lifesaving Station during the freeze up and thaw out of the lake when the risk of someone going through the unsafe ice is very high. To perform winter lake safety work on Lake Mendota, I feel the Neoteric hovercraft would be essential.”

Learn more about the capabilities of Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft …

Learn more about the UW Lifesaving Station ...

First Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart in Puerto Rico

Alberto Torruella, an 80-yr-old retired attorney and businessman and former sugar cane farmer, lives on a beach in Puerto Rico. And he comes from an interesting background: “Initially our business was sugar, but my great-grandfather started producing rum. After Prohibition, we set up a distillery and went into the rum business, which was kind of a secondary business at the time.” Alberto’s “secondary business” became the Serralles Distillery, the maker of Don Q Rum - and not only the largest producer of rum in Puerto Rico, but the second largest producer of quality rums in the United States.

After he retired last year, Alberto was “… looking for something to keep me busy. I get the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog and saw your golf cart there and I looked Neoteric up. I didn’t contact Hammacher Schlemmer because I didn’t want to go through an intermediary; I wanted to go to the source.”

Alberto wanted a hovercraft to fly him over the beach and sea, but he also had business in mind: “Ten years ago we went into the hotel business; we purchased a hotel and added a golf course. And I thought it would help the golf course. Puerto Rico has 12 or 13 golf courses – lots of competition for attracting golfers – so we can offer rides.”

Before he purchased his HoverGolf Cart, Alberto (left) completed a hovercraft pilot and maintenance course in November at Hovercraft Training Centers “to see how it works out, whether I can handle it.” …

Even though Alberto is a pilot and has vast experience operating motorcycles and boats, his training course was his first experience on a hovercraft – and he particularly enjoyed the unique features of the Neoteric craft – such as reverse thrust, which allows the craft to fly backwards, brake and hover in place: “It was very enjoyable – and different. I used to drive motorcycles so I’m used to speed and crazy things – but not this crazy! I mean, you’re going 30 mph and all of a sudden you can spin and go backwards! Being able to fly backwards, etc. – it adds to the fun!”

Alberto is eager to introduce his hovercraft to Puerto Rico: “You can use a hovercraft in Puerto Rico all year round. I think Puerto Rico would be a good market for your hovercraft because we have good weather all year round and we have lots of areas where it could be used.”

As all you Hoosiers know, the weather in Indiana is not quite as good. But that doesn’t stop Neoteric or our hovercraft! Here are photos of Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald conducting performance testing on Alberto’s craft in January on the icy Wabash River …

Want to take a ride in a hovercraft? Take a Test Flight!

“My hovercraft is not just a toy; I have a motive for it.”

Barry Eison of Tennessee is a man with a plan. But the 56-year-old industrial maintenance specialist was determined to give his plan a strong foundation: “I’ve been looking at hovercraft for five years. I’ve looked at just about every hovercraft company out there; Neoteric is the only one that doesn’t have a single negative review.”

Barry further boosted his strong foundation by completing thorough training at Hovercraft Training Centers. He says, “My biggest concern was being able to safely operate the craft. Training is absolutely necessary; if you don’t know how to use it, stay off of it!”  Here, Barry (right) receives his certification from HTC Senior Instructor Chris Fitzgerald …

Why a hovercraft? Barry says, “Every time we go out hunting, fishing, exploring, we see places we can’t get to. With a hovercraft, I think we can get to them.” But his plan involves much more than just having fun with his hovercraft – he intends to turn it into a business. “I know the outdoors. I know what people would like to see a hovercraft do. I’ll learn the hovercraft and be able to show what it’s capable of doing,” he says, “If I can marry these two, I can sell hovercraft.”

Even before he learned to fly his new hovercraft, he’d already lined up at least 14 potential people interested in taking test flights - among them not just sportsmen but also rice farmers, first responders and game wardens. Here’s what Barry has to say about each group …

Sportsmen: “When you’re hunting, fishing, exploring, so many areas are inaccessible. Especially if you’re getting up in years, you can’t travel through mud or wade through swamps. Duck hunting is big in my area; one of the biggest frustrations for duck hunters is you have to be able to go from water to land to water – a hovercraft makes that possible.”

Rice farmers: “Rice farmers require a levee around their property, and maintaining it is a nightmare. The water in a rice field isn’t deep enough for a boat, so they have to use 4-wheelers or Rangers and end up causing damage. Hovercraft would allow them to fly right over their crop without damaging it. I already have four rice farmers that want me to give them demo rides.”

First responders: “Every year we have people die when the spring floods come. I’ve seen people die because we couldn’t get to them. A couple of volunteer rescue squads are already very interested, so I’ll volunteer my services to them.”

Game wardens: “I have a cabin in a 26,000-acre refuge. The game warden there talks about how he can’t get to areas for enforcement or counting wildlife. He has an extreme interest in hovercraft.”

He’s done his research, he’s chosen a state-of-the-art hovercraft, and he thoroughly understands the importance of proper training. We predict that Barry Eison is well on his way, hovering straight toward success!

Is a hovercraft business right for you?

Own a HoverCenter …

 or

 Become a Neoteric Hovercraft dealer …

Neoteric hovercraft “worked beautifully, across the ice to the water.”

John and Maureen Wright are law enforcement retirees who live on an island in Buckthorn, Ontario, Canada. And even though their hobbies include skiing, snowmobiling and sailing “every boat conceivable,” nothing would get them back and forth from their home to the mainland when the surrounding water is not frozen enough to walk on or too frozen for a boat.

Their dilemma? “We either stay home for weeks while it freezes, or we go away for weeks waiting for it to freeze.”

Their solution? A Neoteric hovercraft: “Now we’ll be good to go whenever we want!”

The Wrights thoroughly researched hovercraft before finalizing their decision. First, they decided on a Neoteric craft: “It’s a vessel that fits our needs.”  Next, they underwent training at Hovercraft Training Centers. “I took training to learn how to drive a car,” John said. “And you don’t fly a plane without taking some instruction – you’re gonna crash. Same thing goes with this.”

Maureen agreed, “I need to be in it and see it explained for me to be comfortable. Training is just a commonsense thing to me.”

At the HTC training site on the Wabash River, John takes the controls

while instructor Chris Fitzgerald provides constant direction and feedback.

Back at HTC headquarters, John and Maureen accept their hovercraft pilot certifications

from Chris Fitzgerald (center).

A few days after returning to Canada, the Wrights sent an update on how their hovercraft performs on partially frozen water and solid ice: “I liken it to a rocket ship in space where the inertia is exponential. But it worked beautifully, across the ice to the water …”

Is a Neoteric hovercraft the right vessel for your needs? Here’s an easy way to find out:

Take a Test Flight on a Neoteric craft at Hovercraft Training Centers!