Firefighters, does your department still rely on ropes, divers, boats and other apparatus for water, ice and mud rescues? Come to FDIC Outdoor Demo Booth 19302 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.
Here's one example why first responders prefer hovercraft to other rescue vehicles. In this video, after first responders fail to rescue a stranded family using traditional rescue boats, a Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft does the job - and also rescues the rescuers!
Flat
bottom boats and other propeller-driven watercraft are of questionable use in
shallow water, swift water, flood, ice and mud rescues, and can pose a serious
danger to you and to the lives you’re tasked to save.
But hovercraft fly 9 inches above the surface - keeping passengers above the danger, not in it - and are
constructed so that neither the propellers nor any other part of the
craft can strike a submerged object.
Here's how some of your fellow first responders around the world compare their Neoteric Hovercraft to other rescue vehicles …
Central Fraser Valley Search & Rescue, Canada:
"Our Neoteric Hovercraft gets us into areas that, before, we weren't able to reach, areas that our jet boat can't get into because we ingest debris into the impeller. And the hovercraft saves us a lot of time."
Mansfield Fire Department, Texas USA:
“The benefit of having the hovercraft is we do not have to send our personnel into the water to retrieve victims. It can also hover over logs, car tires and any other debris, unlike boats that could be a hazard in flood water. A hovercraft is the answer to a faster rescue – a safer rescue.”
WOPR, a national water rescue organization in
Poland:
“Regardless
of the weather, our hovercraft can fly over water, ice, mud, sand, grass or
wetlands – allowing us to get to those places you can’t reach either by boat or
by foot. This machine can save people under the most difficult conditions that
prevent the use of a helicopter.”
Somervell County Fire Department, Texas USA:
"Our Neoteric hovercraftis very useful for our river rescues when the water moves from too shallow to deep. It hovers 9 inches above the surface so swift water and hidden obstacles don’t affect it. The advantage of the hovercraft is that it can hover in fast, rough water and operate on land, shallow and deep water."
Put Outdoor Demo Booth 19302 on your FDIC priority list and don't miss the chance to see for yourself how Neoteric Hovercraft outperform other rescue apparatus.
Founded in 1960, Neoteric is the most experienced light hovercraft manufacturer in the world, with clientele in 50+ nations. Our innovative reverse thrust system patented worldwide, makes the Neoteric Hovercraft the only hovercraft that can brake and back up - critical in rescue operations.
Unlike airboats, hovercraft are flying machines that travel above the surface on a bubble of air so they don’t create a wake on water. Airboats are flat-bottomed boats with a large propeller and their entire weight rests on the surface, creating a wake. Airboats usually require a boat dock for launching; hovercraft do not.
Airboats are limited to relatively smooth water because their hulls have low gunwales which can be easily swamped. Airboats have minimum positive flotation, where hovercraft have quite a lot - up to 1 1/2 times their weight. This enables hovercraft to operate safely on swiftwater. Here, first responders from the U.S. Air Force practice swift water rescue techniques in a Neoteric hovercraft …
The airboat’s tall propeller also limits its use in areas with overhead obstructions, which are often found in flood rescue operations. An airboat’s propeller usually runs close to the speed of sound and generates far more noise than a hovercraft. Airboats can consume up to three times more energy than hovercraft, so they use more fuel.
Hovercraft are safer than airboats in ice rescue operations. As stated in a news article about a dive team preparing for ice rescues, “Emergency personnel practiced rescuing victims who have fallen through ice by getting as close as they can with airboats - too close and the boat will push the ice and crush the victim - and then, with insulated, waterproof suits on and an attached rope, swimming out and bringing the victim back."
Hovercraft can fly on top of thin or broken ice while airboats cannot, and hovercraft often break the ice into small pieces that are of no danger to the victim. Hovercraft can also approach the victim directly, keeping rescuers out of the water. And the airboat's high center of gravity makes them prone to flipping over.
An example of an airboat's tall propeller and high center of gravity.
Hovercraft are much more maneuverable than airboats, particularly Neoteric craft whose patented reverse thrust system allows them to brake and otherwise outmaneuver every other hovercraft on the market. Reverse thrust is essential for hovering on ice and swiftwater. Airboat control comes from propeller thrust and airflow across its rudders, so it takes full power to achieve real control. In contrast, a hovercraft with reverse thrust is more easily controlled, no matter how much power is applied.Operating an airboat at full power is a bit like running a bucking bronco! But flying a hovercraft with reverse thrust, even at full power, is nothing like fighting a monster - it's more like dancing with a ballerina. Finally, as one first responder said after a Neoteric hovercraft water rescue, "You've got an airboat, you've got a hovercraft, and you've got a traditional boat ... I just couldn't come up with any other vehicle that could match what a hovercraft can do. Well, not "a" hovercraft - THIS hovercraft. Caterpillar makes the best equipment. Peterbilt makes the best truck. Neoteric makes the best hovercraft."
For #ThrowbackThursday, let’s go back to March 14, 1964 when Chris
Fitzgerald, Neoteric’s future founder and president, participated in the
World’s First Hovercraft Race in Canberra, Australia ...
The Age Newspaper, 14 March 1964: This hovercraft will take part in the world’s first hovercraft race
over Lake Burley Griffin today. In the cockpit, Edward Thomas; from left, Ron Davies, Christopher Fitzgerald and Robert Wilson.
The race was a remarkable success. It drew more than 30,000 spectators and
received extensive media coverage. London’s Flight International
magazine reported: "March 14, 1964, may become a famous date in ACV
history, for on that day, at Canberra, the world's first competitive hovercraft
trials took place. An analogy may be drawn between the Canberra trials of
1964 and the Rheims air meeting of 1909: both mark the beginning of
competitive development in their respective fields.”
Watch a video filmed during the race ...
In a 2001 article, journalist Eric Shackle related Neoteric’s evolution since the World’s First
Hovercraft Race ...
Melbourne
Entrant’s Success Story
One of
the entrants in the World's First Hovercraft Race, Australian Air Cushion Vehicle Development, vigorously pursued
its interest in hovercraft, transferred to the US, and is now one of the
world's leading manufacturers of the craft: Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc.
In
1964, the company competed in the first world hovercraft race. As experience
mounted, the Rotary International Foundation awarded AACVD's president, Chris
Fitzgerald, a scholarship for a world hovercraft study tour which resulted in
contact with virtually every hovercraft project in existence.
Innovations
continued and, by 1973, a prototype hovercraft, the Neova, was completed and
AACVD formed a new company, Neoteric Engineering Affiliates Pty. Ltd., which
created staggering world interest when it introduced the Neova at a press
demonstration in July, 1974 in Melbourne, Australia. All were anticipating a
promising future for this curious new flying machine.
Hoping
to sell their technology to the burgeoning recreational vehicle market in the
United States, the engineering team made what was intended to be a temporary
move to the USA in 1975. After a short time, however, they discovered that
there was a virgin market for the manufacturing of hovercraft and began
reorienting their company's focus in that direction. This spurred the spin-off
company, Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc.
Today,
Neoteric boasts a clientele that spans 50 countries and includes Disney World,
local and national [and international] rescue departments, dive teams, gold
mines, environmental and fishery research departments at universities,
oil-spill clean-up, the US Army Corps of Engineers and, of course, numerous
people who enjoy exploring remote areas that cannot be reached by any other
means.
They've
come a long way since taking part in that historic 1964 race on Lake Burley
Griffin!
Firefighters and first responders: Kick off this #ThrowbackThursday with a video of a Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft in action at
last April’s Fire Department Instructors Conference. Watch how the only
hovercraft with reverse thrust for braking and backing up can be critical in
rescue operations. First responders, this lets you easily reach the victim without having to submerge yourself in water, ice, snow, mud, etc. …
On to the future ... Mark
your calendars now so you can get off to a flying start at FDIC 2019. Come to Neoteric Demo Booth 19403 to experience a rescue hovercraft flight every
half hour. This is your chance to see why your fellow #firefighters and first
responders in more than 50 nations rely on Neoteric hovercraft to keep them
safe and take them where no other apparatus can go.
This is an ideal opportunity for you to see firsthand why Neoteric hovercraft are recognized worldwide as the fastest, safest, easiest way to rescue water, ice, swift water, mud and flood victims. Don't miss out!
It’s
#ThrowbackThursday and time for something big!
In 1991, as one of its many
special projects, Neoteric custom designed a 5,000 lb. Hoverlifter for placing
sand atop a Massachusetts cranberry farm, a grower with #OceanSpray. The Hoverlifter
introduced an entirely new hovercraft construction concept utilizing aluminum
tubing and fabric.
Watch the
Hoverlifter on the news …
A
Hoverlifter with an entirely different design and composition was also developed
for #Alcoa Aluminum to move half-ton units around on the roof of a 140-acre
factory.
From Hoverlifters, to Hovering Dragons for #Disney World, to #Bubba'sHover, Neoteric has a long history of 'First of its kind in the world' special projects in hovercraft design. Read more ...
For #ThrowbackThursday
let’s go back four years and watch one of the most informative videos about
hovercraft you’ll ever see!
Indiana Outdoor
Adventures, broadcast to 44+ million U.S. households, devoted
an entire episode to Neoteric Hovercraft. See hovercraft in action, watch them
being built, and hear Neoteric Founder/President Chris Fitzgerald discuss how
hovercraft came to be, how they work, their capabilities, why they’re so safe,
the background story of Bubba’s Hover
… and lots more …
In 1983,
Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald was honored to be selected as the very
first Entrepreneur in Residence at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the #1
undergraduate engineering college in the U.S. for the last 19 years.
A
productive relationship has flourished between Neoteric and Rose-Hulman in the
decades since then. Scores of Rose-Hulman students find employment, internships
and involvement in special engineering projects at Neoteric. The first World
Symposium on Hovercraft Rescue was held at Rose-Hulman as a part of World
Hovercraft Week 2002, chaired by Fitzgerald.
Last week,
20 Rose-Hulman Master’s Degree students came to Neoteric for an introduction to
hovercraft and our manufacturing process, accompanied by Dr. Diane Evans,
Professor of Engineering Management and Dr. Terry Schumacher, Associate
Professor of Engineering Management. Their department has a seminar for its
graduate students every quarter and, as Dr. Evans explains, “I decided that I’d like this seminar to be an opportunity to show
the students some companies that practice quality in the workplace. I had been
to Neoteric before during an American Society of Quality (ASQ) tour and I knew
the students would really appreciate what Chris is doing right in the middle of
Terre Haute.”
Watch a video clip of Chris Fitzgerald discussing
Neoteric’s manufacturing process …
How did the students react to the tour? According
to Dr. Evans, “They loved it. The
students couldn’t believe that this awesome facility was in Terre Haute. They
were amazed at how the hovercraft works and how much Chris knew about the whole
process. They thought he was incredible – they enjoyed listening and learning
from him. They also loved the actual demonstration of how the hovercraft works
with the smaller tube-like one.”
Dr. Evans is referring to the company’s
Hovering Billiard Ball, one of many Neoteric developed for Gallagher, the U.S.
comedian. Here, Fitzgerald uses the Hovering Billiard Ball with the ball top
removed to demonstrate hovercraft lift, daylight clearance and cushion
stability to the students …
Even the wintry weather didn’t hinder
the students’ fascination with hovercraft and Neoteric’s production processes.
Here, outside the manufacturing facility, Fitzgerald demonstrates how the
company’s skirt flagellation text rig assures Neoteric’s high-quality, durable
hovercraft skirts …
Dr. Evans was also quite pleased with
the visit. She said, “This is one of the
best tours on which I’ve taken students. There were so many aspects of the
visit that pertained to what I teach – for example, the Kanban system and the
Toyota Production System process. Chris’ dedication to continued learning and
growing is inspirational.”
These feelings are mutual. We at
Neoteric, as always, enjoyed our visit with the students, Dr. Evans and Dr. Schumacher,
and look forward to continuing our valuable relationship with Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology for years to come.
It’s that
time of year in much of the world: the time when outdoor lovers have stowed
away their boats, jet skis, kayaks, canoes and ATVs and are sitting inside
hoping for some snowmobile weather.
But that’s
not the case with outdoor lovers across the globe who own a Neoteric hovercraft. Here’s what they’re up
to …
You don't need that whole stowed-away fleet of vehicles when you have a hovercraft. It's the only all-season recreational vehicle that replaces that fleet - and it takes you places your other vehicles can't reach: you'll fly easily over land; swift water; shallow, frozen or flooded rivers; sandbars; swamps; mud; snow and even thin or broken ice. What a great way to save money and guarantee year-round fun! But don't take our word for it - check out what our customers say ... Still not sure you want to have a Happy "Neo" Year? It's easy to fly before you buy and find out if a hovercraft is right for you ...
The FDIC (Fire Department Instructor Conference) is the world’s largest firefighter conference and expo, attended by more than 35,000 firefighters, chiefs and instructors from more than 53 nations.
Neoteric and HovercraftTraining Centers are honored to be the only rescue hovercraft and flight training exhibitor featured at the FDIC this year. The event takes place April 24-29 at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
If your department still relies on ropes, boats and other apparatus for water, ice and mud rescues, you’ll definitely want to visit us at Booth #2704 to watch videos of hovercraft rescue operations, see a remote-controlled hovercraft in action, let us answer all your questions – and register to win one of three free Hovercraft Pilot Training Courses, valued at $1,575 each!
The Neoteric Hovercraft booth at last year's FDIC.
Flat bottom Jon boats and other propeller-driven watercraft are of questionable use in shallow water, swiftwater, flood, ice and mud rescues, and can pose a serious danger to you and to the lives you’re tasked to save. Come see how a Neoteric rescue hovercraft can greatly improve the safety, ease, speed and success of your rescue operations … while keeping you above the danger – not in it. It quickly flies you into areas where no other vehicle can go, and it’s the only hovercraft with the ability to brake and back up.
But don’t just take our word for it. See what first responders around the world say about their Neoteric Hovercraft in comparison to other rescue vehicles … Council Bluffs Fire Department, Iowa:
Mansfield Fire Department, Texas:
"The benefit of having the hovercraft is we do not have to send our personnel into the water to retrieve victims. It can also hover over logs, car tires and any other debris, unlike boats, that could be a hazard in the water. A hovercraft is the answer to a faster rescue - a safer rescue."
Davis County Sheriff's Office, Utah:
"Our hovercraft, without question, has saved lives. Much of our county is covered by the Great Salt Lake, and when the water is low it leaves miles of mudflats boats can't reach. We can't get airboats out there. When it's extremely windy it's hard to get an aircraft or helicopter out there, and even walking out is impossible. We were putting rescuers in harm's way, but the hovercraft allows us to hover over mud, ice or water and get right to the patient - to literally reach out our hand and pull them out."
Central Fraser Valley Search & Rescue Society, Canada:
"The hovercraft gets us into areas that, before, we weren't able to reach, areas that our jet boat can't get into because we ingest debris into the impeller. And the hovercraft saves us a lot of time."
North Muskegon Fire Department, Michigan:
"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."
Learn much more - and see how you can save lives more safely than ever before -
at Neoteric's Booth 2704 at this year’s FDIC.
Neoteric is the original and most experienced light hovercraft manufacturer, relied on by
first responders in 50+ countries for more than four decades. Read more …
Hovercraft Training Center is the world’s premier hovercraft flight training academy.
Check out the drone video of Mansfield Fire Department’s rescue HoverTrek™ searching for victims during the recent Texas flooding. Without the extreme maneuverability of Neoteric’s reverse thrust, any other hovercraft - or any other rescue vehicle - would not be able to navigate on turbulent floodwater in such tight spots ...
Neoteric customer Gary Meyers created this great video of the 2015 Lake Havasu, AZ HoverFest, a part of the Lake Havasu Boat Show, one of the premiere boat shows in the Southwest USA. As you can see, Neoteric recreational hovercraft were well-represented! Watch them in action ...
There's just no better way to enjoy the outdoors than a Neoteric hovercraft - but don't take our word for it - check out what our customers say ...
A hovercraft will replace most of your other recreational vehicles - boats, jet skis, kayaks, canoes, snowmobiles and more - giving you an all-in-one, all-season vehicle that will take you places all these others can't reach. And there's no easier way to experience for yourself what a hovercraft can do than to take a Test Flight or Training Course on a Neoteric hovercraft. Sign up today and get ready for the ride of your life!
On a
recent Saturday morning, five men walked out on ice-covered Muskegon Lake in
Michigan for a little ice fishing. But they faced a real catch! Around noon,
they noticed changes in the ice and headed back to shore. Two of them fell
through the melting ice. When they called 911, they were told to stay in place
until help arrived.
Fortunately,
that help arrived in the form of North Muskegon Fire Department’s Neoteric rescue
hovercraft and their highly trained first responders, who have been using the
hovercraft for ice and water rescues for three decades.
Even
though the U.S. Coast Guard also responded to this emergency, the USCG usually
responds to ice rescues with a team of four who go out on the ice on foot –
while the North Muskegon Fire Department’s hovercraft safely speeds upwards of
60 mph across solid or broken ice, keeping first responders above the danger,
not in it.
Ice
fishermen flock to the frozen waters of Muskegon Lake during winter. And yes, the
Muskegon first responders advise, it may be time to “consider the ice fishing
season over,” and “time to break out the boats” – but a hovercraft is equally
critical as a water rescue tool as it is an ice rescue tool.
The North
Muskegon Fire Department recognized that early on, and became a pioneer in
using hovercraft for ice and water rescue operations. “Our hovercraft have
saved more lives than 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,” says Fire Chief Steve Lague.
The spring melt is well underway in many parts of the world, and those areas where first responders have a Neoteric hovercraft available for ice rescues are exceptionally well-prepared. Those that don’t? Well, you might want to watch this video about the Moncton Fire Department in Canada …
Moncton’s
first responders are not only equipped with the most effective ice, mud and
water rescue vehicle available, they’ve thoroughly trained to use it. When they
purchased their craft in 2012, Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald, who is
Hovercraft Training Centers’ Senior Flight Instructor, traveled to Canada with HTC Flight Instructor Steve Stafford to
conduct intensive pilot training on Moncton’s new 6-passenger rescue
hovercraft.
Moncton’s
training was interesting – it included having the hovercraft run over a
firefighter! Canada’s Global News reported, “Moncton Fire Department Captain Steve Crawford said it was a “strange
sensation” to have the department’s new hovercraft run him over in the city’s
McLaughlin Road reservoir yesterday. Crawford played the victim in a
demonstration of its latest piece of high-tech emergency equipment. Wearing a helmet and life jacket, he was dropped into the water, and then the
hovercraft, piloted by Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. founder Chris Fitzgerald, flew
out to rescue him. To demonstrate just how safe the craft is, Fitzgerald
literally drove over Crawford before the sopping wet firefighter was scooped
out of the water.”
“You know it’s not going to hurt you, but it’s
a strange sensation to have any sort of craft fly over you,” Crawford said.
During
training, Fire Chief Eric Arsenault said the hovercraft is a “great addition to our toolbox,” adding
it is quicker to deploy than a boat. The hovercraft can be taken from its
trailer and be in the water in minutes.
Hundreds
of people die in ice-related accidents each year in the United States alone,
but many fire departments and rescue organizations haven’t yet recognized the
importance of hovercraft as an ice, mud and water rescue tool. “You need fire departments like Moncton that are prepared to be
first adopters,” Fitzgerald said. “They’re
really pioneers.”
How can your department determine if a hovercraft would improve you first responders’
rescue capabilities? An easy, low-cost way is to
take a hovercraft Test Flight or Flight Training Course.
Today is Throwback Thursday #TBT and it’s a meme especially suited to
Neoteric. As the world’s original light hovercraft manufacturer, we have
decades of history to share!
On this Throwback Thursday, let’s have a glimpse of Neoteric’s third
decade in business. The 1980s established Neoteric Hovercraft as a global
entity as we gained customers from across the world – India, China, Japan and
many other nations. And intensive research and development produced several new
Neoteric models, among them the LeMere and the Neova II.
The early 1980s were a precursor of our Bubba’s Hover days, as Neoteric craft gained international fame in commercial productions – they were featured in TV ads
for Canada’s Labatt’s Beer, Germany’s Lord Extra Cigarettes and Brazil’s
Hollywood Cigarettes.
Here’s the Labatt’s Beer commercial, filmed on Lake Isabella in California.
When ordinary boats are just too ordinary for the job, it’s Neova II hovercraft to the
rescue! …
When filming the Lord Extra commercial on California’s Lake Big Bear in
1983, the Neoteric hovercraft stole the show – and not much has changed since! ...
You can read the full history of Neoteric Hovercraft here. Now it’s time to look forward and get a glimpse of what a
hovercraft can add to your future! Find out how you can steal the show ...
You’ve
already read about Michigan’s North Muskegon Fire Department featuring their Neoteric
hovercraft at a statewide Ice Rescue Conference & Education Day. Even
though it received lots of media attention, you may be surprised to learn that
the most extensive coverage of the event appeared on a program for women.
WOTV 4
Women is an ABC-affiliated television station in Battle Creek that bills itself
as “A TV station FOR Michigan women BY
Michigan women.” And Maranda, the host of the daily program, “Where You
Live”, brought some female fun to the event by learning to pilot a Neoteric HoverTrek™
on ice.
Watch North Muskegon rescue hovercraft in action on ice:
But this isn’t
the only time hovercraft have been spotlighted by women for women. TrailBlazerGirl.com, a California-based website that “finds the most interesting gear and amazing
getaways for adventurous women who love the outdoors”, has showcased
Neoteric hovercraft.
As the Oakland Press recently reported in “Sporting
Michigan”, “Not too many years ago, women
were left at home to take care of the kids, do the shopping and have a warm
meal on the table when dad came home from a day of ice fishing, bird hunting,
or sitting in a deer stand. Times have changed. These days, more and more women
are learning to experience all the outdoors has to offer.”
Those days
are gone, so get in gear, gals – take Maranda’s advice and “Try Something New”.
There’s no better way to experience the outdoors than on a hovercraft!
But be forewarned, fellas … here’s a slightly X-rated comment left on our Facebook page by an adventurous woman named Donita after her first ride on a Neoteric hovercraft …
There's no question that hovercraft attract attention. And the media just can't get enough of the Neoteric HoverTrek™. So, move over, Bubba's Hover, because you're about to be upstaged: Neoteric customer Gary Meyers and his hovercraft (named "Neo") are starring in an upcoming episode of NatGeo TV's Street Genius - to be aired in 170 countries in 45 languages! Enjoy a brief premiere - here's footage from the May 2014 filming at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada ...
After the filming, Gary said, "The hovercraft was the main feature of the entire episode. Tim Shaw (the show's host) rode with me on several test flights, where we spun around on Lake Las Vegas and then flew up the beach toward the cameras. On the first take, I was to run perpendicularly up the sloped beach and stop right in front of multiple TV cameras. No problem - perfect landing! We filmed this approach four separate times at my fastest possible speed and each time I landed almost exactly on the same spot." Follow our blog posts and we'll soon give you the exact date and time of the Neoteric episode of Street Genius. Leave a comment and let us know if you plan to watch! In the meantime, check out how you can become a Neoteric celebrity ...
"Walking in a Winter Wonderland" is a popular song right now. But that walk - or ride - can quickly turn into a nightmare when you're on thin ice. Statistics show that the most frequent victims in ice rescue operations are animals, children, ice fisherman, skaters, snowmobilers - and first responders.
In ice rescues, time is of the essence; hypothermia and shock can occur in minutes, immobilizing victims and rescuers alike, and traditional ice rescue techniques simply take too long. Much of the usual ice rescue equipment - inflatable walkways, sleds and ropes - can put first responders in as much danger as the victims they're trying to rescue. But hovercraft fly above the surface, keeping first responders above the danger and greatly speeding up the rescue process. A hovercraft is the only vehicle that can fly easily over thin or broken ice; other rescue vehicles require solid ice at least 5 inches thick. And the Neoteric HoverTrek™, with its patented reverse thrust system, is the most versatile hovercraft available for ice rescue operations. Another way hovercraft speed up rescue operations is that victims don't have to be disembarked at the water's edge. As a multi-terrain vehicle, a hovercraft can take victims from water, across land or mud, and directly to a waiting ambulance.
The Wilkes-Barre Fire Department's Neoteric HoverTrek™ soars over broken ice on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. The hovercraft's 9-inch deep air cushion and reverse thrust enables it to safely maneuver over jagged, broken, snow-covered ice floes.
See for yourself how the HoverTrek™ operates on ice - take a ride with Neoteric customer Dirk Lohry as he flies over thin, cracked ice on McCook Lake in South Dakota ...
When CNN reported earlier this year on a Neoteric hovercraft's rescue of three deer from a frozen lake, the news anchors summed it up quite accurately: "Hovercraft are kind of a genius idea here ... if you go out there with a snowmobile, you're in trouble - it doesn't hover; it's just a craft ... Boats and jet skis are pretty useless on ice and snowmobiles fall through ice if it won't hold their weight. Hovercraft can fly over any surface, so they save many lives. If you fall through the ice, or get sucked into mud or quicksand, better hope someone locally has a hovercraft handy!"
First responders: Is a Neoteric hovercraft right for you?
Hovercraft events take place all over the world, but Neoteric customer Gary Meyers is organizing one that’s sure to be a great hit. The First Annual Havasu HoverFest is coming up April 10-12, 2015 as a part of the largest boat show in the West – the Lake Havasu Boat Show in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
The HoverFest will include demonstrations, time trials off the beach, and a cruise up the Colorado River. Here’s a photo of Gary on the Colorado River, with the scenic Topock Gorge in the background …
Now, enjoy a quick preview of the HoverFest - hop on board and take a cruise up the Colorado with Gary in “Neo”, his Neoteric HoverTrek™ …
Gary
reports, “I am still entirely enjoying
Neo on and around Lake Havasu. This is the perfect terrain for recreational
hovercrafting, with plenty of flat lands, beaches, water, and river areas to
explore. The Neoteric can easily maneuver in areas not accessible to other
boaters. While passing near some of the
shorelines, I often see a lot of faces being obscured by cameras and smart
phones! This is fun!”
We’ll keep
you updated as Havasu HoverFest plans develop. In the meantime …
Neoteric rescue hovercraft are being utilized to save lives in nations all around the world, and here’s just one example. Early this year, Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald traveled to Hanoi to deliver two new Neoteric Rescue HoverTreks to Tuyet Nga Co. Ltd., a security and rescue equipment supplier. As Hovercraft Training Centers’ Senior Flight Instructor, Fitzgerald also conducted flight and maintenance training for Tuyet Nga personnel as well as first responders from Vietnam’s National Department of Rescue & Relief.
At Viet Nam’s Emergency Response Training headquarters near Hanoi, Chris Fitzgerald (5th from left) and officials from Tuyet NGA and the Department of Rescue and Relief join hands in a symbolic gesture of partnership.
The
hovercraft are great assets to a nation so often plagued by floods and
monsoons. And professional pilot training is also a great asset – especially when
it teaches you how to train others. In this recent video, the pilots trained by
Chris Fitzgerald are conducting training in Vietnam for additional first
responders from Brigade 249 of the Public Affairs Command, who will utilize the
hovercraft for search & rescue and military operations …
