Hovering on thin ice: An HTC Training exercise

When you undergo pilot and maintenance training at HTC, your training doesn’t necessarily end when you complete your course. For instance, HTC flight instructors Chris Fitzgerald and Steve Stafford recently met with first responders from the Hazelton Fire Department and the Perry Clear Creek Fire Department for ice rescue training exercises on Lake Monroe.

Located near Bloomington, Lake Monroe is the largest lake in Indiana. With below-freezing temperatures and a lake covered with snow and ice that was thin in places, the conditions that day were ideal for ice rescue practice.

Check out the photos below to get an idea why a hovercraft is the only rescue vehicle that can perform fast, safe rescues on swift water, thin or broken ice, flood waters and snow …

From left to right: The HTC training hovercraft, the Hazelton Fire Department’s craft, and Steve Stafford’s personal craft are ready to launch on Lake Monroe. All three are Neoteric Hovercraft ...

The lake ice varied from solid to thin and broken – surface conditions that prohibit the use of any other vehicle. During the day, the three hovercraft cruised the entire length of the largest lake in Indiana, regardless of ice conditions …

A short pause, and they’re off again …

Hazelton Fire Department’s Jeff Splittorf stands aboard the department’s 6-passenger Neoteric rescue hovercraft ...

After a brief consultations, maneuvers begin anew. Steve Stafford and Tim Dodds are aboard Steve’s hovercraft; outside the craft are Hazelton Fire Department’s Mark Ellis (left) and Rachel Hyneman (right) …

Steve Stafford’s hovercraft with a cabin offered him some protection from the brutal weather …

Hazelton Fire Department’s hovercraft flies easily across the snow and ice …

Rachel Hyneman’s smile indicates that braving the weather was worth it. The day of practice ensured that the Hazelton Fire Department is even more fully prepared to conduct successful ice rescues with a professionally trained crew of first responders and the most maneuverable hovercraft available …

First responders: see for yourself how hovercraft keep you out of the danger – not in it!

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