Last year,
Hovercraft Training Centers conducted
flight training in Hanoi for first responders from the Viet Nam military’s
National Department of Rescue and Relief on their two new Neoteric military
hovercraft. The Department, under the Ministry of National Defense, coordinates
military and non-military forces in search and rescue operations and disaster
relief.
The
importance of hovercraft is widely recognized in Viet Nam, by the military and
the civil sector as well. Defense Studies
and PhunuToday published articles
about their hovercraft, stating, “Viet
Nam People’s Army is now equipped with modern air-cushion boats by an American
producer that have many advantages in Viet Nam. The hovercraft, manufactured by
Neoteric Hovercraft (American), can be applied to military and civil tasks.”
During
training, four first responders from a fire department near Ho Chi Minh City
flew in to observe the hovercraft in operation, and Steve Stafford gave them a
demonstration flight …
Since HTC
conducts flight training throughout the world, interpreters serve a critical
role. Here, Thuy Nguyen Thu translates Stafford’s instructions to the trainees …
With their
four Neoteric hovercraft, and professionally trained military pilots, the
People’s Army of Viet Nam is well-prepared to conduct operations that cannot be
handled by any other vehicle. The craft are a great asset in a country often
plagued by monsoons and floods.
Here, the
newly-trained pilots receive their certifications …
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From the left: Nguyen Van Nuoi, Bru Hoang Than,
Instructor Steve Stafford,
Interpreter Thuy Nguyen Thu, Phan Nhat Anh, and Do Xuan Vu.
and
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