Hovercraft Rescue Training on Flooded Wabash River

First responders from the Council Bluffs Fire Department in Iowa had an exceptional opportunity yesterday to undergo flight training and learn flood rescue techniques in their new 6-passenger Neoteric Rescue HoverTrek. HTC flight instructors Chris Fitzgerald and Steve Stafford conducted their training on the Wabash River, now at 22.8 ft. flood stage.

The steep Wabash River boat ramp is submerged in water all the way to the parking lot
as Council Bluffs’ first responders begin their training.

Fire Chief Justin James reported, “I am excited to get back to Council Bluffs and start training our personnel on the new rescue craft. Crazy part was we were operating in real flood waters here in Terre Haute. Reminded me of 2011. It was awesome being able to operate in deep and shallow flood water without having to worry about destroying a motor or boat. We also got to train rescuing victims that may be stranded in trees or roofs of homes due to the rising waters. We simply used the craft to hover into and hold position near these real obstacles.”

A structure near the Wabash River is nearly covered with water.

Firefighter Jason Sornson added, “Big thanks to Chris and Steve for an awesome experience. Everything around the Wabash River was flooded, which led to an amazing training experience! Great machine for Council Bluffs Fire Department!”

Sornson is correct – their new hovercraft is a great asset for their city. When Chief James said the flooded Wabash River reminded him of 2011, he was referring to a summer of massive floods in Council Bluffs, so severe that the National Guard had to be called in to assist with hundreds of rescues. Dozens of homes and other structures literally collapsed in the torrential rains and flash floods.

As the U.S. National Weather Service reports, “Flooding is one of the leading causes of weather-related fatalities in the U.S. … People underestimate the force and power of water, especially when it is moving. Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock over and carry off an adult. Twelve inches of water can float a small car; if that water is moving, it can carry that car away. Eighteen to twenty-four inches of flowing water can carry away most vehicles.”

That’s why fire departments and other rescue agencies are increasingly relying on hovercraft as the ideal vehicle for flood rescue operations. As a newscaster reported during the recent floods in Texas, “A hovercraft is sometimes the easiest way for the rescuers to get to folks surrounded by these waters … You can’t go out in normal boats because you don’t know what kind of debris is out there … These hovercraft are just a much more effective way …”

And Neoteric’s Rescue HoverTrek, with its patented reverse thrust, easily and safely operates in  debris-filled floodwater and has the unique maneuverability for up-close access to victims without forcing first responders to enter the water.

Council Bluffs Fire Department’s new 6-passenger Rescue HoverTrek at the flooded Wabash River.

First responders: 

Learn why a Neoteric hovercraft is the preferred flood rescue vehicle …

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#Throwback Thursday Vintage Hovercraft Video

Long before the formal founding of Hovercraft Training Centers – and before the development of the ultra-modern HoverTrek™ we train with today – Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. was making history. That longevity as the world’s original light hovercraft manufacturer is one of the reasons we use Neoteric craft exclusively.

On this #TBT, let’s look back to a couple of Neoteric’s precursors to today’s HoverTrek™ - the Neova II and the LeMere. In the early 1980s, as their hovercraft were chosen to star in international television commercials, Neoteric was well on the way to the kind of fame they’ve earned today with Bubba’s Hover.

In this commercial for Brazil’s Hollywood Cigarettes, filmed on Lake Isabella in California, Neoteric provided four pilots, two LeMere and two Neova II hovercraft. When ordinary boats just aren’t glamorous enough, Neoteric hovercraft save the day! …

Also check out this video of vintage Neoteric hovercraft featured in a 1983 commercial for Canada’s Labatt’s Beer … and enjoy a Photographic Half-Century History of Hovercraft Training Centers and the Neoteric training hovercraft.

Essential even for a short commercial shoot, training has always been, and always will be, – the single most important factor for the successful operation of a hovercraft. And as the originator of the first successful light hovercraft, Neoteric and HTC founder Chris Fitzgerald has spent more than 50 years piloting, designing and developing hovercraft – and training those who fly them. Who better to be your instructor?

Time to step out of the past and into your future –

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Marc Sidell: “Training is the key to success.”

Marc Sidell of Seattle, Washington is a boater and a pilot, and he even considered flying professionally at one point. Since he lives near the Boeing factory, and because several of his friends are pilots, flying came naturally to him. Also, he lives near the San Juan Islands and “It takes awhile to get to them by boat, but with an airplane it’s much faster. And with an airplane you can fly all over the place,” he says.

 But Marc wants to stop flying. He explains, “I want to transition out of that because it’s gotten quite expensive - and also you have the possibility of dying!”

So he turned to hovercraft as a way to fly safely 9 inches above the ground, with less expense. And as an experienced pilot, he knew the place to start was to take a training course at HTC. “It’s like a plane; you need to train and put time in on it,” he says, “Otherwise, it could be dangerous.”

After a full day of training, Marc Sidell (left) accepts his Hovercraft Pilot Certification from Chris Fitzgerald (right).

Marc thoroughly enjoyed his training course. “It was the best day, and very eye opening,” he says, “And I loved the safety of being trained by someone so experienced and qualified. Even though it felt a little humbling at first to perform around Chris, who is so skilled, it was very comfortable to have him around.”

His training left Marc even more interested in the possibility of owning a hovercraft: “It’s versatile and you can go just about anyplace – like you can fly up a steep boat ramp. I think a hovercraft gives you a lot of independence and freedom to do things you wouldn’t dare do otherwise.”

And his day at HTC fully convinced him that training is the place to start. “Training is the key to success,” Marc says, “Anyone who attempts to fly a hovercraft without training is an idiot, point blank!”

Enjoy a few photos of Marc’s flight training session at HTC …

Wearing wireless headsets for constant communication with HTC Senior Instructor Chris Fitzgerald during his training session, Marc is ready for his first flight in a hovercraft at the Wabash River training site.

Chris Fitzgerald fully reviews the operation of all the hovercraft’s controls with Marc before launching the craft onto the river.

And they’re off, with Fitzgerald in the pilot’s seat to explain maneuvers before Marc takes over the controls.

After a morning classroom session where he learned everything about hovercraft and their operation, then a flight demonstration with Chris Fitzgerald, Marc easily flies the craft down the Wabash River to practice what he’s learned.

Would a hovercraft work for you?

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The best hovercraft video you'll ever watch!

If you’ve ever had a question about hovercraft, this video is likely to answer it! And it will certainly give you an idea of the expertise behind Hovercraft Training Centers and the Neoteric hovercraft we use.

A TV program broadcast to more than 44 million households across the U.S., Indiana Outdoor Adventures, aired this episode featuring HTC founder / Senior Instructor Chris Fitzgerald and Flight Instructor Steve Stafford. You’ll learn how and why hovercraft came about in the first place, what makes them work, what they can do, how they’re manufactured, why they’re so safe – and lots more. And you’ll see them in lots of action.

The public response to the show has been overwhelmingly positive; here’s an example email the show received:

“Amazing! Mr. Fitzgerald seems like a really interesting man. I could listen to him talk all day. I think fire and rescue departments would really like to have these, especially in areas where ice fishing is popular. Thanks for producing another great show!”

We bet you’ll react the same way! Watch now …



We send a special thank you to the Perry Clear Creek Fire Department for their invaluable assistance in the filming of this show. Perry Clear Creek first responders and their Neoteric rescue hovercraft conducted the ice rescue demonstration in the program.

See a photo gallery of the Perry Clear Creek ice rescue filming ...

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HTC trainee takes advantage of “Fly before you buy”

Allen Hoopes of Freedom, Wyoming has been interested in hovercraft since he was a kid. “I’d read about them over the years when I was younger. Then I starting seeing articles on the Internet -  one that really piqued my interest was the Neoteric hovercraft deer rescue.”

His interest was piqued even further by the Neoteric craft’s reverse thrust system. “It has the ability to reverse, whereas most of what’s out there is forward only,” he explains, “That’s a unique characteristic.”

So Allen contacted Neoteric to explore buying a hovercraft – and he was encouraged to first take a training course at HTC to learn about hovercraft in depth and learn to fly one before he buys one.

At the HTC training site on the Wabash River, Allen checks out the Neoteric hovercraft’s reverse thrust buckets
– which were a main factor in bringing him to Hovercraft Training Centers.

Allen is no stranger to flying – or to boating. “I enjoy water sports and I have a boat,” he says, “And I’ve flown in the past – I got up to a solo point, but didn’t finish. To stay safe in an aircraft you need to have at least one takeoff and one landing per month. There was just too much time involved, so I traded in my plane for a boat. And my wife was always concerned about my flying.”

He was quick to recognize that a hovercraft is a flying machine. “It’s definitely a form of aircraft because it’s airborne and has similar principles to an airplane,” he observes, “But a hovercraft is the best of both worlds because I can fly yet stay close to the ground.”

After full morning of classroom training, then learning how to conduct a preflight inspection,
Allen is ready to take off on his first flight training session.

And they’re off!

Allen enjoyed his day of learning to fly safely at HTC. “It was a great day, very interesting. The classroom session was a good review of the craft and its systems. It linked well with the afternoon flight training and helped me understand the principles that were going on, particularly the physics behind it. Really helpful.”

He added, “It would be hard to control without the reverse thrust buckets, especially in small spaces where you’d need to stop or back out or spin around.”

Both Allen’s sense of humor and Chris Fitzgerald’s were flying as well. “I think I might have made Chris nervous, flying around some trees and some carp! He said I was trying too hard, overcompensating, and kept telling me to loosen up,” Allen laughs, “He said maybe we should have brought a bottle of whiskey along!”

Smiling at the end of his training day, Allen Hoopes (right) receives his Hovercraft Pilot Certification
from HTC Senior Instructor Chris Fitzgerald.

After becoming a certified hovercraft pilot, Allen was asked what he thought would happen to someone venturing out in a hovercraft with no training. His response? “I don’t think I’d want to ride with them!”

Now that he knows what hovercraft are all about, Allen says, “I’m sure there’ll be a learning curve, but I’m still intrigued and still very interested in owning one. We have five children and the primary use will be family time on the lakes and rivers in our area, which we have a lot of. It will give us better access to some of those areas.”

See a photo album of Allen's hovercraft flight training ...

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HTC grads rescue Texas hitchhiker tossed from bridge

Seeing Hovercraft Training Centers’ graduates in the news for their mud rescue operations is becoming a commonplace occurrence. First, the headlines abounded with the vital role they played in the Washington mudslide rescue and recovery efforts – and this week in Texas, Wylie Fire-Rescue hit the news for an out-of-the-ordinary mud rescue operation.

Wednesday night, 23-year-old Mario Otteson hitched a ride with a van full of teenage guys at a rest stop near Dallas. But he got far more than a ride! The teens stopped the van on the bridge over Lake Ray Hubbard, dragged Mario out, punched him several times, and then hurled him off the bridge into the lake.

But Mario didn’t land in water. Because of drought conditions, water levels are low and he sunk instead into thick mud and couldn’t escape. Luckily he had a cell phone and called 9-1-1. When the Dallas Police and Dallas Fire-Rescue couldn’t get him out of the mud, they knew to call someone who could: Wylie Fire-Rescue’s HTC-trained hovercraft pilots and their Neoteric Rescue HoverTrek™.

Wylie’s first responders quickly and easily flew their craft through the mire and extricated Mario, who fortunately suffered only a few scrapes but no serious injuries.

Here’s just another example of how important hovercraft and thorough training are to law enforcement and rescue agencies when they need to access areas that boats and even helicopters can’t reach. And we bet this is one hitchhiker who is now giving a real ‘thumbs up’ to HTC and Neoteric Hovercraft!

First Responders: Learn more about rescue hovercraft flight training …

and

Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft

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Weather is No Obstacle for a Hovercraft – or for Flight Training

Larry Borland may not be a postman, but the postal creed, “Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail shall keep the couriers from their appointed rounds” certainly applied to his training day at HTC!

Just like a hovercraft can handle any sort of weather, so can Larry, a 71-year-old retired farmer from North Dakota. Braving a gray, rainy day and a fast-flowing, flooded Wabash River, Larry enthusiastically completed thorough – if soggy – pilot and maintenance training in his new Neoteric hovercraft last weekend at HTC headquarters.

Here Larry (center), accompanied by his son Brent (left) receives his hovercraft pilot certification from HTC Senior Instructor Chris Fitzgerald. Of course, the rain let up after drenching him during his training!

Larry first thought about buying a Neoteric hovercraft kit and building it himself, with some help from his son, Brent, who owns a repair shop, but then he decided to buy a fully-assembled craft. Judging from his expression as he starts his flight training, he seems to be pleased with it! 

Why a hovercraft? Larry, who lives on a lake, says, “I don’t walk so well anymore and it’ll be nice to step into something on dry ground – I’ve watched people trying to launch their boats – and hover right out into the lake. It’s easier access. I can give my grandkids rides and do some fishing and maybe some hunting in it.”

Brent, an avid outdoorsman, has a camper in a marina on the same lake, and another of Larry’s sons has a camper on another lake, so you can bet this hovercraft is going to be a family affair!

While learning to conduct a preflight inspection, Larry said even though he’d never been on a hovercraft before, he’d flown airplanes and had a “pretty good idea about how aerodynamics work," so he thought training would be fairly easy.

Before they launch the craft on the flooded Wabash River, Chris demonstrates to Larry the Neoteric HoverTrek’s patented reverse thrust system, which gives the craft the ability to spin, fly backwards and brake. “The brakes will be nice!” Larry observed.

Out on the river, Chris shows Larry the extreme boat-like floating stability of the hovercraft – it’s certainly much more stable than the weather!

At the conclusion of his training, Larry said, “I’ve read that hovercraft are similar to airplanes in some ways, but in many ways they’re not. It was a lot different than I thought it was going to be; they operate very differently and the training was really unique. I have a lot of things to think about at 3 o’clock in the morning when I do my best thinking!”

What would Larry say to someone who wanted to fly a hovercraft without training? “I think they’d better rearrange their thinking. Without training from someone who has experience, they can kiss their you-know-what goodbye!”

Now a fully-trained hovercraft pilot, Larry is ready to take his new craft back to North Dakota for some fun times ahead – hopefully in better weather!

See for yourself why a hovercraft is the perfect all-weather recreational vehicle …

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or 

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Want a hovercraft? Paul Thrift knows how to “figure it all out.”

Paul Thrift, a busy 34-year-old real estate developer, takes his recreation very seriously. As President of Thompson Thrift Development in Terre Haute, IN, he describes himself as “fairly judicious in going about due diligence, perseverant – I stick with something until I figure it out – and I’m curious and like to try new things.”

So, when he started thinking about a hovercraft as a family recreational vehicle, he didn’t just call and place an order, even though he lives in the city where Neoteric Hovercraft is located. Instead, he did his due diligence: he signed up for a Test Flight and a training course at Hovercraft Training Centers.

Paul explained, “I don’t know if my expectations and curiosity are married to reality or not, so I want to see how to operate it. This way I can ascertain if it will work for our intended use and will it be practical for me to use; that’s why I’m here.”

After his training course with HTC Senior Flight Instructor Chris Fitzgerald, Paul said, “I wouldn’t even consider getting one without this training; it’s an absolute must. And Chris was impressive beyond words, given his history and passion for it, which shines through. And to spend a day of my time, I don’t take that lightly. But the day here was well worth it. Even if I didn’t go on to purchase a hovercraft, I would count the day a success and worth the money and time, just for the experience. I’d do it again just for the enjoyment!”

Here, Paul (right) and Chris Fitzgerald don their headsets before launching a 6-passenger craft on the Wabash River …

Saturday was a busy day at HTC. As Paul and Chris Fitzgerald fire up the 6-passenger craft, HTC Instructor Steve Stafford prepares to launch a Test Flight on a 4-passenger craft for the owner of Alaska’s Wilderness Place Lodge …

Paul launches the craft onto the Wabash River ...

After his flight experiences, Paul says the most enjoyable thing about a hovercraft is “It gives you the freedom to go wherever you want and experience the elements and spin around and not have the limitations of a wheeled or grounded vehicle. It looks like my family and I will be able to enjoy it recreationally, to access rivers and lakes, cruising, pleasure riding. My 16-year old son is especially excited about it – he thinks it’s pretty cool!”

Paul is now deciding whether it will be a 4-passenger or 6-passenger craft for the Thrift family. “The 6-passenger had more power, so I would probably prefer it for the capacity,” said Paul, “I’m leaning toward the large one because I want to put people in it. We like to do things outdoors as a family. Either way, I’m excited about doing something different!”

Whatever size the Thrift family hovercraft will be, thanks to Paul’s determination to ‘figure it all out’ with a Test Flight and thorough training, it will - without doubt - be just right for them!

Want to figure it all out for yourself?

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VIDEO: Rescue Hovercraft Training in Viet Nam

As we posted earlier, HTC Senior Instructor Chris Fitzgerald is in Viet Nam this week, training first responders from the National Department of Rescue and Relief. Also being trained are Personnel from Tuyet NGA Co. Ltd., a supplier of security and rescue equipment, who is an Agent/Dealer for Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc.

The two hovercraft in the video were purchased by Tuyet NGA and will be used by the National Emergency Response team – which will be a great asset in a country plagued by monsoons and floods.

Enjoy a video of Fitzgerald demonstrating the Neoteric HoverTrek’s one-of-a-kind maneuverability before flight training begins on Suoi Hai Lake at the Emergency Response Training Facility 60 Km west of Hanoi …

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Happy Hovering Holidays from HTC!

Everyone at Hovercraft Training Centers hopes you’re hovering high this holiday season – just like Joey Meyers, the Official HTC HoverPup!

Photos courtesy HTC graduate Gary Meyers

And why not kick off a Happy Neo Year by treating yourself to an HTC Test Flight in a top-notch Neoteric Hovercraft - like Joey's!

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Windy Knoll Rolls Out the World's First Publicly Available Hovercraft Golf Cart

Swagger Alert!

You read about Windy Knoll Golf Club, the first in the world to make hovercraft golf carts available to its members and guests...

Photos courtesy New Era Sports Photography

Now check out the WK1 (modeled after the now world-famous BW1) in action as Hovercraft Training Centers trainer Steve Stafford chauffeurs World Golf Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez around the links. Starting this month, the WK1 will become the first hovercraft golf cart in public service, available for rent at $175 a pop.

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Hovercraft Golf Cart Featured in Yahoo! Finance Breakout Profile

In one of its "Breakout Profiles", which feature emerging American success stories and innovators, Yahoo! Finance gets to the real truth underneath all the madcap publicity over Bubba Watson's wacky hovercraft golf cart: all gimmicks and glamour aside, hovercraft save lives where no other vehicle can go. With proper training, hovercraft offer much more than a sweet ride that will make your fellow golfers green with envy. In fact, they can dramatically improve the efficacy of law enforcement, fire departments, and other search and rescue organizations.

From the article:                

"There’s no reason why the majority of fire departments and sheriff departments and emergency management people couldn’t have a hovercraft," (HTC founder and Neoteric President Chris) Fitzgerald argues. "It’s about the same price as a police motorcycle so we’re going to see these vehicles all over the world in these rescue situations."

Check it out here.

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