Deer rescuers credit HTC and Neoteric Hovercraft

Even if you’ve already seen the heartwarming viral video of the deer rescue in Minnesota, this raw footage is definitely worth watching. HTC grad James Kenison and his father Doug of MedCity Hovercraft use their Neoteric hovercraft – and their piloting expertise – to save the lives of three deer stranded for days on the ice of Albert Lea Lake. As one reporter wrote, “It’s a father/son rescue mission unlike anything you’ve ever seen” …

Sometimes hovercraft are the only lifesaving tool that works – especially in climates like that of Minnesota – ‘The Land of 10,000 Lakes.’ The Minnesota DNA reports that since 1977 there have been 225 human ice fatalities in the state - and 57% of them resulted from taking a snowmobile, ATV or vehicle other than a hovercraft onto ice. Another journalist summed it up, “Boats and jet skis are pretty useless on ice and snowmobiles fall through ice if it won’t hold their weight … If you fall through ice, or get sucked into mud or quicksand, better hope someone locally has a hovercraft handy.”

The Kenisons credit Hovercraft Training Centers and Neoteric Hovercraft for the success of their rescue. “The training I received has been such a huge benefit," wrote James, “Each time I operate the craft some of my training comes into play to some degree and I continue to build on my skills as a Neoteric hovercraft pilot.” He added, “Our Neoteric craft performed really well. Its reverse thrusters gave us the ability to quickly maneuver on the slippery ice; without them, the rescue would have taken longer just to get the craft in the right position.”

Getting to the heart of the matter, Doug told us, “It looked like one of the deer actually came closer to us. It just seemed like she knew we were there to help. It was our honor and privilege to help these wonderful animals.”

James Kenison (center) and his father Doug (right) earned their pilot certification from

instructor Steve Stafford (left) at Hovercraft Training Centers.

Tell us in a comment: Have you ever witnessed an ice rescue? How does this compare?

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Dump the Winter Doldrums

In many parts of the world, winter is just around the corner – but Hovercraft Training Centers offer a sure-fire cure for cabin fever! 

You may have to stow your jet ski, fishing boat, canoe and ATV for the cold season, but a hovercraft will keep you soaring throughout the year. Snowstorm? Thin ice on the river? Broken ice on the lake? Never a problem!

A Neoteric hovercraft flies over thin, broken ice on St. Petersburg Harbor in Russia.

There’s no greater way for outdoor lovers to dump the winter doldrums – come take a Hovercraft Training Centers Test Flight and see for yourself! 

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Meet an HTC-trained Military Hovercraft Pilot

Capt. Cory Lingelbach, a U.S. Air Force firefighter, is a military hovercraft pilot and chief flight instructor for the Utah Test and Training Range at Hill Air Force Base. Did he learn his hovercraft skills from the military? No – he learned them at Hovercraft Training Centers.

Capt. Lingelbach (left) and his crew completed a week of specialized military hovercraft pilot training at HTC.

And those skills have certainly paid off. Among other rescues, Capt. Lingelbach used one of UTTR’s two Neoteric hovercraft to rescue a downed F-16 pilot who crashed on the Great Salt Lakes mudflats, where no other vehicle could travel. The jet hit the ground at 300 mph, shattering it into burning fragments scattered across a vast muddy terrain. The hovercraft not only rescued the pilot, who ejected before impact, but were also valuable in the search and recovery operations. 

The UTTR training at HTC included night rescue operations; shown here through night vision goggles.

Before their hovercraft purchase, when UTTR used ATVs and trucks, emergency response times could reach 2-3 hours; now they can reach victims within minutes. “Without the level of training sophistication that HTC provided, we would never be able to perform our missions the way we do.” says Capt. Lingelbach …

Read more at Hovercraft Training Centers …

Learn how HTC plans to expand military hovercraft training …

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Pete Garland: "It's all about excitement, adventure!"

Pete Garland of Coldspring, Texas, is a retired oil company engineer who enrolled in a Hovercraft Training Centers course for the same reason he went into the oil business: “It’s interesting – and I look for excitement, adventure.”

Pete Garland (left) receives his hovercraft pilot certification from HTC President Chris Fitzgerald.

But to Pete, retirement is definitely not the world’s longest coffee break. He has jet skis, four wheelers, a couple of boats and four ATVs – and grandchildren to enjoy his vehicles with him. He explains why he signed up for training before buying a hovercraft: “The reason I thought about a hovercraft is it looks like it could be a new adventure, a lot of fun. But I don’t think you can just toss your keys to the grandkids and say, ‘Here, give it a go’ like you can with jet skis. You’ve got to know what you’re doing. And I’m not sure how you repair these things, so today I’ll learn.”

And he did. After a morning of classroom and maintenance training, Pete learned how to conduct a preflight inspection before his first flight training session …

Pete first learned about hovercraft from his son-in-law, an avid golfer who got really excited when he saw the Bubba’s Hover viral video of the hovercraft golf cart Neoteric created for Bubba Watson. “He’s just as excited about me coming here for training,” Pete says. “He wants me to buy him a hovercraft, too!”

Before his flight session began, Pete anticipated that flying a hovercraft would be different than operating other watercraft: “Directly on the water you have a lot of control, but from reading the manual, when you’re floating on air there’s a little more of a control issue.”

But control wasn’t an issue once he learned to fly. In the pilot seat, Pete takes over the hovercraft controls while HTC instructor Chris Fitzgerald provides constant guidance …

At the end of his training day, when asked what three words would best describe him, Pete said, “Adventurous, outgoing and in good health.” Then he added, “I’m not too old for this!”

You bet he isn’t! As Henry Ford - a man who knew a thing or two about vehicles - said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

Hold back time - learn to fly a hovercraft!

Take an HTC Test Flight or Training Course

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