Did you
know that temperatures were below freezing this week in 50 U.S. states? At
Hovercraft Training Centers, we train in all weather conditions but - especially
if you live on the East Coast and are buried in snow - this seems like a good time
for you to enjoy some photos of flight training in warm sunshine!
HTC is not
only an all-weather hovercraft flight school, we’re also an all-levels-of-experience
training center - we train pilots who have been flying hovercraft for years.
Scott Hanseth, a first responder with George Larson Marine Rescue in Conway,
Washington, has been flying rescue hovercraft for a couple of decades. Yet,
shortly before we were hit with an early winter, Scott came to HTC to take a
pilot training course. He explains why:
“We’ve been running SCAT hovercraft for 15 to
20 years. We trained ourselves. Some guys pick it up and some guys drive it and
say, ‘Not for me.’ It took me awhile to learn how to get comfortable. I want to
learn new techniques I can take back to my guys and train them. And I’m
interested in learning more about maintenance,” Scott said.
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Scott
Hanseth (left) receives his
Hovercraft Pilot Certification from HTC Senior Flight Instructor Chris
Fitzgerald.
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Last year,
George Larson Marine Rescue bought a Neoteric rescue hovercraft for Scott to
operate, so he was pleased that HTC trains exclusively on the Neoteric
HoverTrek™. “I got tired of dealing with
old worn-out machines. We had an opportunity to buy our own, so I researched
different brands for a long time and decided on Neoteric,” he said, “When our interstate bridge collapsed, I got to see Snohomish County’s Neoteric craft in
operation. Its maneuverability sold me on it.”
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George
Larson Marine Rescue’s Neoteric Rescue HoverTrek™
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Scott
described why maneuverability is an important feature. “We rescue a lot of duck hunters. We take care of the lower Skagit River
where it hits saltwater. The tide fluctuates 8 to 12 feet a day, twice a day,
so duck hunters get lost or the tide goes out and they can’t get back in, so we
go get them.”
Although it
didn’t exactly simulate a 12-foot tidal fluctuation, the Wabash River was flooded
on the day that Scott underwent his HTC flight training …
And, as
always, part of Scott’s pilot training included maneuvering the hovercraft in
and out of places other vehicles have difficulty reaching …
As an
experienced rescue hovercraft pilot, did Scott Hanseth learn anything new
during his training course? “It was great
- I learned a lot!” he said. “I had
training a long time ago, but it wasn’t as structured like this was. There’s a
quote in your Training Manual about a hovercraft being like a bar of soap with
a motor on it … that’s true. If somebody starts flying without training, they’re
likely to have a bad experience. Get some training, have a professional teach
you. Don’t just wing it.”
Scott’s
training course also reaffirmed his department’s decision to buy a Neoteric
hovercraft. “The Neoteric handles
completely differently than the SCAT. In the SCAT, you always have to shift
your weight to keep it level and you have to lean to turn. With the Neoteric’s
reverse thrust buckets, you just sit there. And on a SCAT, if you go around a
corner the outside edge would just automatically go down. They would plow in,
religiously, and I’ve seen guys crash into things with them. With the Neoteric,
you don’t have to worry about it, and that’s the big difference. It’s a lot more
stable.”
An email
from Scott just a few days ago confirmed even more strongly that George Larson
Marine Rescue’s decisions about pilot training and hovercraft brand were the
right ones. He wrote …
“We used our new hovercraft on its first real
incident last night and I was extremely pleased with how it performed. We had
to go get two hunters that were stranded in Skagit Bay when the tide went out
on them. It was dark, 26 degrees, and the hovercraft operated perfectly. There
were no issues with the engine in the freezing conditions and the lights,
especially the two we added to the fan shroud, were fantastic. The hovercraft
was able to handle myself and the two hunters without trouble. Without a doubt,
the Neoteric hovercraft is far superior to the SCAT hovercraft we have run in
the past.
First responders: Don't just wing it ...
