Neoteric Hovercraft transports Indiana Bicentennial Torch

The signature commemorative event of the state’s 200^th birthday is the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay. Patterned after the Olympic Torch Relay, Indiana’s version will pass through all 92 of the state’s counties and cover 3,200 miles over a five week period, averaging 97 miles a day.

The torch is being carried by specially chosen people, and by modes of transport that are symbolic of the heritage and history of Indiana. These include an Indy race car, antique autos, a Batmobile, farm equipment, a horse & wagon … and, of course, a Neoteric Hovercraft ...

It’s only natural that Neoteric was selected to bring the Bicentennial Torch down the Wabash River to Terre Haute. As the media have often reported, Neoteric, with its international clientele and global reputation, has put Terre Haute, Indiana on the world map. 

And, of course, a Neoteric Hovercraft always serves as a media magnet …

As the crowd gathers, the Bicentennial Torch-bearing Neoteric Hovercraft arrives ...

... and makes a smooth transition from the river up the Fairbanks Park boat ramp ...

Piloted by Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald, the hovercraft passengers were, from the left: Vigo Country Representative Elizabeth Scamihorn, Torch Manager/Guard Phil Baldwin, and Torchbearer NBC-2 Chief Meteorologist Jesse Walker ...

The Terre Haute Tribune Star interviewed Jesse Walker about his hovercraft experience: 

"It was such an honor to be nominated to do this," Walker said. "The 200-year celebration of Indiana is fantastic. And for me to get to go down the river ... I go on TV every night and talk about the weather, talk about the river. This was the first time I've been on the river to any extent."

"We traveled about five or six miles. Perfect conditions. The river was fine and Chris Fitzgerald did a great job with the hovercraft. I did get splashed a little bit. But it's been hot today, so I'm OK with that."

At Fairbanks Park, Jesse Walker passed the torch on to Blake Griffin, who carried it on his bike around the park in honor of his brother, Sgt. Dale Griffin. Dale gave his life in 2009, while serving in Operating Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan ...

The night ended with a magnificent fireworks display over the Wabash River. And now the Bicentennial Torch continues its journey through Indiana, to cover 260 cities and towns; 17 State and National Parks; 9 lakes and rivers; 27 national, state and local sites of historic significance; and 22 colleges and universities.

When the Relay concludes on October 15, the torch will be used to illuminate an everlasting light at the statehouse in Indianapolis. It will serve as an homage to Indiana's first 200 years and an inspiration for generations of Hoosiers to come.

Neoteric Hovercraft is greatly honored to have served a role in this historic event. Back in 1975, we made the decision to move our company from Australia to the USA. More than four decades later, we still feel privileged to call Terre Haute, Indiana our home.

Learn more about Neoteric Hovercraft ...

See the photo gallery ...

Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft Saves the Day

The Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft owned by the White River Hazleton Volunteer Fire Department has served them well since they purchased it in 2011. The Department operates a dive boat, but needed a hovercraft to let them access areas a boat can’t reach. White River Hazleton protects the main fork of the White River in southern Indiana, which drains 70% of the state, and they provide mutual aid into Illinois as well.

Mark Ellis of the White River Hazleton Fire Department pilots their Neoteric hovercraft on the Wabash River last year as his Department assisted Neoteric with advanced flight training for the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department.

The Department’s hovercraft has successfully completed numerous difficult rescues along the White and Wabash Rivers … here’s an article about their most recent success …

Mt. Carmel Register
Oct. 7, 2015
by Marcus Smith

Hovercraft called in to rescue stranded boat

MOUNT CARMEL- Wabash Emergency Management Agency (WEMA) had to call in Hazleton’s White River Water Rescue and its hovercraft to rescue a stuck pontoon boat on the Wabash River Monday morning.

Shawn Lane, of Fairfield, and Bill Woodall, of Albion, went out to do some fishing before having engine troubles and becoming stuck south of the boat ramp by Twin Rivers Restaurant.

Woodall said the motor stopped running and the pair drifted down river until they became stuck.

Gerald Brooks, WEMA coordinator, said the depth of the river was so shallow that they couldn’t get a rescue boat close enough to the stranded craft to help.

“Not the best thing to do, going out on the river when it’s this shallow,” he said.

Initially, Brooks thought the people might have to be pulled from the craft, and a plan would have to be devised further down the road to tow the boat in.

“The boat might have to sit there for a while,” Brooks said.

White River Water Rescue from Hazleton, Indiana was called in to assist with its hovercraft.

Mike Ellis, White River Township Fire Chief, said the plan was to raise the motor on the pontoon boat out of the water, get the boat floating downstream and tow it to a downstream boat ramp.

After raising the motor out of the water the boat began to drift down river before hanging up on another set of rocks.

The passengers of the boat could be seen rocking the boat back and forth trying to break free. 

When that didn’t work, a tow rope was thrown from the pontoon boat to the hovercraft.

With one of the passengers of each craft holding on to the rope, the hovercraft was used to break the pontoon boat free, and then tow it to a private boat ramp downstream.

Read how Mike Ellis and first responders around the world use their

Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft ...

Hovercrafters help feed hungry children

Yes, hovercraft are fun, but they also serve the greater good – and not just in rescue operations.

Organized by the Hoverclub of America, a group of hovercraft adventurers will come together on July 29 for a unique 500 mile Hover for Hunger journey up the Wabash River to raise funds and awareness for charities combating childhood hunger in Indiana.

One of the charities that the Wabash 500 Hover for Hunger will benefit is the food pantry of the Goshen Middle School. A similar program at South Vigo High School in Terre Haute will also benefit from the funds the hovercrafters raise.

“These are kids that are identified by their teachers or counselors as being at-risk of going hungry when they go home over the weekend. Through the program, once per week the kids are sent home with enough nutritious food to supply them with weekend meals,” explains Dave Reyburn, Hoverclub President and organizer of the trip. “The food pantries are stocked entirely by donations from local churches, individuals, and grants when available.”

All participants are covering the costs of their trip, and 100% of the proceeds raised through donations will go to the charities. If you would like to make a donation to this worthy cause, click here and then click on the “Donate Now” button under the graphic. 

The participants will be flying hovercraft from a wide variety of manufacturers, including Neoteric. They’re coming from all over the United States to participate, and even from as far as Australia.

Their trip will cover the entire navigable portion of the Wabash River. The downriver trip has been done by boat, but never by hovercraft and never upriver. Reyburn explains, “This will be the first attempt ever to complete the entire journey by hovercraft in one go. The hovercraft is ideally suited for navigating the shallows, sand bars, rapids, log jams, buried debris, and low head dam and shoals found along the Wabash.”

If you’d like to meet up in person with this amazing group of people, you can see their full travel agenda at the bottom of this page. They’re launching the trip at 8 a.m. Wednesday July 29 from Old Shawnee Town, Illinois 10 miles south of the confluence of the Ohio and Wabash Rivers, and ending it around 5 p.m. Sunday August 2 in Fort Recovery, Ohio.

“We hope to cover about 100 miles per day, stopping at many towns along the river to raise awareness and tell the story of our journey,” says Reyburn, “This is hovering with purpose.”

This is a great opportunity for you to “pay it forward”!

Your donation will help feed a hungry child …

Paul Biggerstaff's Custom Camouflage Hovercraft

"Neoteric" means "novel and contemporary"; it was chosen as our company name to exemplify our clientele, who want the latest and most unique technology. But the Neoteric-ness doesn't stop with technology - we work with every customer to customize their craft in whatever ways they choose.

Paul Biggerstaff of Woosung, Illinois is an adventurer - a skydiver and gyrocopter pilot - who says he gets bored easily. That's never going to happen in his Neoteric Hovertrek™ with its Advantage Wetland Camouflage color scheme, hand-painted by a skilled artist ...

"I wanted something unique," Paul says, "A gyrocopter has a niche like your hovercraft does - it's unique and different and that's what drew me toward it. We started doing web searches and found Neoteric; it looked like you were the leader of the pack so we zeroed in on you!" 

Here, Paul and his hovercraft arrive at the Wabash River for his first flight training session with
Hovercraft Training Centers ...

The Neoteric hovercraft's reverse thrust buckets are one of it's out-of-the-ordinary features that attracted Paul. Its reverse thrust system makes the Neoteric Hovertrek™ the only hovercraft on the market with the ability to brake, back up and hover in place ... 

Chris Fitzgerald, President of Neoteric Hovercraft and also Hovercraft Training Centers' chief flight instructor, gives Paul a thorough overview before takeoff ... 

As Fitzgerald launches the craft onto the river, Paul is obviously enjoying his adventure even before he takes the controls ... 

As Paul gets down to the serious work of learning to fly, Fitzgerald provides constant instruction via wireless headsets ... 

At the end of the day, Paul receives his pilot certification before he heads back to Illinois to enjoy river adventures not possible in other vehicles. "I live in a river town and have a pontoon and I've had ski boats and all that. But the hovercraft is very interesting because we have a lot of sand bars and mudflats - it'll be perfect for those!" 

You don't need a hovercraft of your own to learn to fly one -

Read more at Hovercraft Training Centers ...

Bob Vanderheiden’s Corvette Orange Neoteric Hovercraft

As Ol’ Blue Eyes (Frank Sinatra) once said, “Orange is the happiest color.” Maybe that’s why Nebraska’s Bob Vanderheiden, who describes himself as “courageous, self-reliant, young-at-heart and happy” chose 1973 Corvette burnt orange as the color of his new Neoteric recreational hovercraft …

And it’s also the color of all his other toys, as well, including his three Jeeps …

Bob decided on a hovercraft while searching for a recreational vehicle he could use year-round. “I live on the Platte River, plus we have a lot of lakes and sand pits, so I figured it’s something I can use 12 months a year, since it will go just as well over ice and snow as rivers and lakes.” And Bob says he decided on a Neoteric craft because, “I’m always interested in American-made products - and the reverse thrusters are what sold me.”

When he traveled to Terre Haute to undergo pilot training at Hovercraft Training Centers, Bob was no stranger to operating unusual vehicles. “I drove the largest man-made maneuverable object for four years, the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier in the Navy. I logged thousands of hours. Other than that, Jeeps, airplanes – now it’s going to be a hovercraft.”

With a thumbs-up, Bob is ready to board his new craft for an afternoon of flight training …

Wireless headsets in place, HTC instructor Chris Fitzgerald gives Bob a preflight briefing …

Before launch, Fitzgerald gives Bob a preview of what Neoteric's reverse thrust buckets can do …

And with another thumbs-up, Bob’s new craft is launched onto the Wabash River …

In short time, Bob takes over the controls and is flying his craft smoothly upriver …

We can’t promise you it will be in a Corvette orange craft but

you, too, can take a spin in a Neoteric Hovercraft at HTC – for only $250!

Ukraine's first Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart

With its massive publicity, most everyone in the world knows that Windy Knoll Golf Club in Springfield, Ohio was the first of the world's 35,000 golf courses to own Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Carts - the official replica of Bubba's Hover. And now we have another first: Superior Golf & Spa Resort is the first golf course in Ukraine to treat its members to the latest and greatest way to glide across the greens ...

As it nears completion in the Neoteric assembly facility, custom decals are applied to the reverse thrust buckets of Superior Golf's craft:

Like every Neoteric craft, Superior Golf's Hovercraft Golf Cart undergoes performance testing on the Wabash River before being shipped to Ukraine: 

The retractable roof of the Neoteric Hovercraft Golf Cart makes it easy for golfers to hop in and out of the craft:

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White River - Hazleton Fire Department Hovercraft Pilot Training

Firefighters from the White River-Hazleton Volunteer Fire Department, Hazleton, Indiana USA have completed their Class III Hovercraft Pilot Training at Neoteric's headquarters.

Shown here prior to their initial launch on the Wabash River in the department's six-passenger Neoteric Rescue Hovertrek are, clockwise from left: Mark Ellis, Secretary/Treasurer; Mike Ellis, Fire Chief; Capt. Stan Capobianco, Indiana Dept. of Homeland Security, Ret. Terre Haute Fire Department; and Chris Fitzgerald, President of Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. ...

The department operates a dive boat, but needed the capabilities of a hovercraft to better serve the Hazleton area. Below, Chris Fitzgerald demonstrates the patented reverse thrust buckets that give Neoteric hovercraft their exceptional maneuverability - a critical asset in rescue operations ...

A day of flight training begins as Mark Ellis and Chris Fitzgerald launch the craft while Chief Ellis and Capt. Capobianco listen to the first session via headsets ...



The White River-Hazleton Volunteer Fire Department protects the main fork of the White River in southern Indiana, which drains approximately 70% of the state. The department also provides mutual aid into the state of Illinois. 

Read news coverage of the White River-Hazleton hovercraft

The John Talmage Family: Neoteric's First Customers

Only rarely is a corporation that has existed for decades able to credit its origin to a specific individual or, in this case, a family. We would like to share the story of how the Talmage potato-farming family of Long Island, New York, helped launch Neoteric Hovercraft in the USA.

In the mid-1960s John Talmage, a farmer and a licensed pilot, along with his sons Henry and Bill, ages 5 and 9, built their own version of a hovercraft from photographs he had seen in Popular Mechanics magazine. Today, the original Talmage craft hangs from the rafters of the aircraft hangar on their Riverhead Farm on Long Island …

What followed is a true example of “six degrees of separation”. At the time he built his hovercraft, John’s sister Mary Ellen lived in Melbourne, Australia. Her landlord was Derrick Ravenscroft, a British draftsman at The Aeronautical Research Laboratories, where Neoteric’s now-President Chris Fitzgerald was employed. Mary Ellen showed Ravenscroft photos of “the crazy thing my brother and his sons built.” Ravenscroft then showed the photos to Fitzgerald.

In 1970, while on a world hovercraft research tour sponsored by a Rotary International Foundation award, Chris Fitzgerald visited the Talmages on Long Island and a lifelong friendship was begun.

When Fitzgerald moved to the USA in 1975 and founded Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc., John Talmage financed the first hovercraft manufactured by the company: the original Neova 2, constructed of wood and fiberglass. Here, the Neova 2 is parked outside the Talmage hangar at their Riverhead Farm just after its arrival from Neoteric in Terre Haute, Indiana ...

This first hovercraft was used to develop the Neova 2 hovercraft kit and to garner publicity. John Talmage did not come to Indiana to collect his hovercraft until 1978. Back on Long Island, Popular Mechanics published a feature story of several pages about the Neova 2, which immediately kicked off sales of Neova 2 kits for Neoteric. And, as they say, the rest is history.

The Talmages visit Neoteric

Neoteric was honored in 2010 by a visit from John Talmage and his wife Carol. Here, Chris Fitzgerald looks on while John and Carol describe their history with Neoteric to factory employees …

At the end of the day touring the Neoteric factory, the Talmages were treated to a cruise on the Wabash River, with Fitzgerald piloting the company's training hovercraft …

It was a pleasure for everyone at Neoteric to meet the legendary Talmages. We would like to express our gratitude for their vision and confidence during our early days that has played such a significant role in moving Neoteric forward through the years.