“I am contacting the US Navy for two purposes.
1) Your idea for training
2) This is the best tool imaginable for getting around on tidal flats. Maybe I can get the SEALs interested.”

Steve Elgar
Senior Scientist in Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Skagit Bay Tidal Flat/River System Cooperative

“The Utah Test and Training Range purchased two Neoteric hovercraft in August 2005 and on March 31, 2006 we completed our first rescue of a downed F-16 aircraft with one pilot. We were in a race against time because life flight was dispatched at the same time we were. We launched our hovercraft and beat the life flight helicopter to the pilot. Luckily the ejection from the F-16 was successful and we found him in good health.

He was amazed to see us there and surprised we beat the helo to his location. We launched from land then hit the water, then land, water, and land again. This just goes to show you the hovercraft is very versatile.”

Cory Lingelbach
Rescue Hovercraft Training Officer
Utah Test and Training Range
U.S. Department of Defense

“Most of the terrain under the Utah Test and Training Range consists of mudflats. During the wet months, traversing across the Range is extremely difficult, even with ATVs. [Our Neoteric] hovercraft provide the capability to move across any soil conditions. The salt flats are full of crevices and holes filled with water that slowed our response times down, but the hovercraft will glide over the uneven terrain.

Use of the hovercraft isn’t limited to aircraft crashes. They will also be used for search and rescue operations and to respond to vehicle accidents along the I-80 corridor. Last winter there were about 25 accidents where people ended up in the canals along I-80. Tooele County emergency responders had to send for boats after their initial response. With the hovercraft, we’ll be able to get to the victims a lot faster.

They are state of the art … it’s good to have the equipment necessary for a timely response.”

Ron Short, Director
David Kallman, Fire Chief
Utah Test and Training Range
U.S. Department of Defense

“The hovercraft works beautifully getting into shallows and running over ice and water. We are using our Neova 6 in support of winter forestry management projects along the Mississippi River.”

Operator Dan Oles
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Minneapolis, Minnesota