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2000-2009 - 5th Decade
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the World's First Hovercraft Race, Neoteric began planning for HoverWorld Expo 2004 in Canberra, Australia.
Neoteric Australia provided technical services, prototype components and occasional manufactured parts as well as experimental testing and model building. Neoteric operates its testing facility at Hastings, Victoria, Australia to the present day. A new Hovertrek™ model test program took place in Melbourne during 2001.
Neoteric developed, tested, manufactured and marketed its Hovertrek™ model with a range of 70 options, including 65HP and 100HP engines as well as fuel injected versions.
Chris Fitzgerald was appointed Chairman of the World Hovercraft Championship 2002 and brought the event to Terre Haute, Indiana USA in 2002.
Neoteric sponsored and organized WHC 2002, which became the world's most successful and largest gathering of hovercraft enthusiasts in history.
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| 2002 World Hovercraft Federation, World Championship logo | Chris Fitzgerald, Chairman of the 2002 World Hovercraft Championship, delivers a speech at the press release event. | Chairman and officials of the 2002 World Hovercraft Championship posing by the event pace craft a Neoteric Hovertrek™. | ||
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| Hovercraft racers on the start line. | Typical Hovercraft race course half on land and half on water. | Hovercraft racers from across the world showcase hovercraft at the Championship. | ||
Neoteric experienced increased business as a result of the Championship. Hovercraft were purchased by the U.S. Department of Justice, Border Patrol; state airports, U.S. National Parks, emergency response agencies, police, and Fire Departments around the world.
Two rescue hovercraft were purchased by the Anchorage International Airport. In April 2003, Anchorage International Airport Police and Fire department conducted an ice rescuing training in Lake Hood. According to Sgt. William Weiss “It was still about 6 inches thick, but rotten. Just right for training. All went well with the training and the hovercraft.”
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| Neoteric 4-passenger rescue Hovertrek™ deployed for ice rescue training within the Anchorage Airport confines. | First responders in the ice rescue training in one of their two rescue Hovertrek™. | Training in broken ice and salt wate conditions. Rescuers are standing on a submerged ice shelf. | |||
A fleet of five hovercraft were purchased for an extensive environmental survey project in Kuwait and were delivered in October 2003 with on-site training. Fitzgerald traveled to Kuwait to train and organize those conducting the countries full coastal survey using Neoteric Hovercraft.
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| Craft depart before dawn and are trailered to the various survey locations each day. | A Military soldier is assigned to each group of survey workers. The military are responsible for detecting unexploded ordinances prior to the commencement of sampling. | Transferring samples from hovercraft to a boat on Bubiyan Islandm, Shatt al Arab, Gulf of Aiabia. | |||
Two rescue hovercraft were purchased by Ministero dell'Interno (The Ministry of the Interior) in Italy. In January of the following year, Fitzgerald visited the Italian team preparing for acceptance trials with the Department of the Interior.
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| Italian team preparing to takeoff and head out into the river used for practice. | Hovering down the earthen boat ramp at the start of training practice in Italy. | Moving equipment around as practice session continued. | |||
Fitzgerald founded the World Hovercraft Organization, a not-for-profit organization to represent and serve as an information resource for the international hovercraft/air cushion vehicle world.
A 4-seat Neoteric hovercraft was purchased by the US National Park Service in Big Bend and Lake Amistad National Recreational Area in Texas.
Planning continued for HoverWorld Expo 2004 for Canberra, Australia.
Factory and machinery upgrades continued. A search for the services of a Production Manager was launched.
Development continued for HoverWorld Expo 2004 and the World Hovercraft Organization. Fitzgerald visited Australia three times during 2003 in May, August, and November in an effort to put together a 40th anniversary of the world’s first race that took place in Canberra in March of 1964.
Neoteric's single-user “Neonet” manufacturing system was upgraded to a php, web-based system.
A comprehensive rewriting and redesign of the Neoteric web site began during June 2003.
Neoteric purchased its own dedicated web server and developed a co-hosting relationship with a company in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Neoteric began the development of Hovercraft Training Schools and established a web site, HovercraftTraining.com
David Atkins designed logos for DiscoverHover, Hovercraft Training, World Hovercraft Organization, and HoverWorld Expo. These were later refined by Aaron Hogan of Indianapolis.
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| The World Hovercraft Organization Logo | The HoverWorld Expo 2004 Logo | The Hovercraft Training Centers Logo | The DiscoverHover Logo | ||||
The World Hovercraft Organization's DiscoverHover International School Hovercraft Program was founded and the DiscoverHover.org web site was launched. This proceeded the 2002 World Championship in Terre Haute.
AutoCAD online design service was established from Neoteric Engineering Affiliates Pty Ltd in Melbourne, Australia.
Fitzgerald attended a conference at the British Hovercraft Museum in Southampton, England and presented a paper on the challenges of hovercraft promotion.
Negotiations began with Igor Lavrov, President of Christy Hovercraft, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation for a Neoteric dealership in St. Petersburg. Since then, Christy Hovercraft has participated in numerous trade shows, performed demonstrations over a huge variety of different terrains, and has submitted a large number of photographs for Neoteric’s online website. Extremely capable technically, Lavrov has also set and documented speed records in Russia. By these enthusiastic efforts, he has produced a considerable number of orders. Unfortunately, Christy Hovercraft filed for bankruptcy around 2023 which in part was caused by the war in Ukraine.
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| Christy Hovercraft conducted hovercraft demonstration with Neoteric Hovertreck™. This craft is equipped with a ripped off copy of the Neoteric front cabin. | Neoteric Hovertreck™ operatying around S’ Petersburg in Russia by Christy Hovercraft. | Neoteric Hovertreck™ being trailered in Russia by Christy Hovercraft. | |||
Fitzgerald visited Canberra and Melbourne, Australia to organize HoverWorld Expo 2004 and to conduct a press conference when the HoverWorld Expo Official Pace Craft arrived in Australia, January 2004, after shipping from Neoteric US. The press release took place at Schenkers in March 2004 where Fitzgerald, alongside members of the Victorian Hovercraft Club, showcased the Neoteric 4-passenger Hovertreck™ Pace Craft.
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| HoverWorld Expo 2004 Logo. | Race rout plan map. | View of the proposed land water transition race course. | |||
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| Pace craft built by Neoteric for the 2004 HoverWorld Expo. Unfortunately the event was cancelled because the concept failed to garner Australian Government support. | Chris Fitzgerald and members of the Victorian Hovercraft Club at the press conference at Schenkers terminal in Melbourne. | Members of the Victorian Hovercraft Club who attended the press conference at Schenkers. Schenkers imported the Pace craft shipped from Neoteric USA. | |||
Development began on a 6-passenger Hovertrek™ utilizing a 100-horsepower liquid cooled Hirth Aircraft engine. This work was commissioned by a long-time customer Tom Dienhart of Wisconsin USA.
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| Making components using fiberglass for 6-passenger Hovertrek™. | The first 6-passenger Hovertreck™ bonded body and hull. | 100 hp 3 cylinder Hirth liquid cooled engine installation being developed. | |||
Former Neoteric dealer, High Tech International S.r.l. [HTI] of Gorgonzola, Italy, began an illegal process of unauthorized copying and manufacture, using splash-mold techniques, of Neoteric products. This company also continues to plagiarize copyrighted content from the Neoteric website. This intellectual property infringement is apparent on the HTI web site. HTI continues to manufacture and sell, primarily to government agencies, rescue hovercraft that are unauthorized copies of several Neoteric models.
Neoteric Hovercraft Inc. has no affiliation with HTI, or with other hovercraft companies in Italy who are marketing copies of Neoteric designs. Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. does not condone, authorize, or support HTI, its president Carlo Guido Passoni, or Matteo Passoni.
A dealer contract had been previously signed with HTI and both Matteo Passoni and his wife, Tatiana Rasskazova, received hovercraft training in October 2001. HTI acquired two dealer demonstration units from Neoteric, but subsequently purchased used Neoteric models from Neoteric’s US customers and shipped them to Italy.
High Tech International S.r.l. (HTI), a former dealer of Neoteric based in Gorgonzola, Italy, has engaged in the unauthorized copying and manufacturing of Neoteric products through splash-mold techniques. They have also been found to plagiarize copyrighted materials from the Neoteric website, which is evident on their own online portal. HTI continues to produce and sell hovercraft that are unauthorized replicas of several Neoteric models, primarily targeting government agencies.
Neoteric Hovercraft Inc. wants to make it clear that it has no association with HTI or any other Italian hovercraft companies that are offering copies of Neoteric designs. We do not endorse, authorize, or support HTI, its president Carlo Guido Passoni, or Matteo Passoni in any capacity.
Previously, a dealer contract was signed with HTI, and both Matteo Passoni and his wife, Tatiana Rasskazova, received hovercraft training in October 2001. HTI initially acquired two dealer demonstration units from Neoteric but later purchased used Neoteric models from our customers in the U.S. and exported them to Italy.
Chris Fitzgerald conducted a joint hovercraft training seminar with RevCor company in Carpentersville, Chicago, Illinois USA. See the event and photos here.
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| Neoteric 4-passenger side-by-side seating Hovertreck™ for RevCor President Reichwein. | RevCor personnel from different departs attended the hovercraft training seminar where they took part in a group photo. On the left is the president of RevCor John H Reichwein, Archie Eschborn, vice president of sales and Chris Fitzgerald the presenter. | ||||
DiscoverHover.org released the first set of free hovercraft construction plans.
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| HOVERCRAFT CONSTRUCTION MANUAL by DiscoverHover | |||||
Over a period of ten years, “Neonet”, Neoteric’s web-based manufacturing system, consisting of hundreds of thousands of lines of code, developed by company employees continues to supports the company’s operations. This “purpose-built” information management system is designed to position the company for efficient manufacturing and when the opportunity is right it will enable Neoteric to scale up its manufacturing.
Neoteric president, Fitzgerald, traveled to Jecheon City, South Korea for dealer negotiations and training. Fitzgerald also demonstrated the Hovertrek™ Rescue Deluxe Model #3626 to Korean National Fire Authority at Kyungpo Beach, Kangnung Province, South Korea. More Photos …
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| Fitzgerald demonstrates the Hovertrek™ Rescue Deluxe Model #3626 to Korean National Fire Authority Team at Kyungpo Beach, Kangnung Province, South Korea. | |||||
British adventurer Robert Hodson visited Neoteric for two weeks to undertake repairs during his two-year excursion crossing of the United States from east to west via rivers, dams, lakes and seas in his Griffon Heavy Hovercraft. Read more about it here. Here is an article on World Hovercraft Organization about an interview with Robert Hodson: Interview with Robert Hoson, Trans-American Adventure.
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| Picture of Hodson when visiting the Neoteric Factory in 2004. | Hodson’s 2-ton heavy Griffon hovercraft showing a typical beach landing. | ||||
The National Capital Authority in Canberra, Australia declined the opportunity to support and endorse the staging of HoverWorld Expo 2004. Read more click here.
Neoteric president, Chris Fitzgerald, driving the Hovertrek™ prototype, competed in the first endurance race in more than 25 years and took third place. This was a practice event staged by the Hovercraft Club of America, Inc. in order to develop a practical scoring system for the development of future hovercraft endurance racing. More about endurance racing.
Bryce Woods, Neoteric Hovercraft dealer in New Zealand, visited company headquarters for sales negotiations.
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| Bryce Woods’ hover house. | Bryce Woods tow wagon with his hovercraft in his backyard. | ||||
South African Neoteric dealer, Winstone Jordaan, Futurist for Extreame Fun visited Neoteric for pilot and assembly training and he was assembling Hovertrek kits.
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| Futurist for Extreame Fun in South Africa Winstone Jordaan taking Hovercraft pilot training and back at the shop taking Kit assembly training. | |||||
During the same month JJ Youn, President of Dream Air Co. Ltd, Neoteric Korean dealer, visited for sales negotiations.
Neoteric Hovercraft experienced worldwide sales, and meeting timely delivery schedules became a challenge.
Neoteric Australia Technical Director, Robert Wilson, visited Neoteric USA for two months to assist with production planning and engineering work.
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| Here Neoteric Technical Director, Robert Wilson is working on a Fan Assembly in our shop. | |||||
Neoteric launched a new Work in Progress section on its web site. This section is updated weekly, gives customers access to extensive step-by-step photo gallery of their hovercraft construction through Neoteric's hands-on cell manufacturing process.
Neoteric contracted with retired airline training pilot Robert Rossier to produce hovercraft training manuals along with a PowerPoint presentation for hovercraft pilot training. This project is ongoing.
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| Retired Airline Pilot Robert Rossier (on the left) receiving his Hovercraft Pilot Certificate from Chis Fitzgerald. | |||||
Neoteric Hovertreck™ is presented on the VODACOM Cup competition in South Africa.
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| Winston Jordaan Futurist for Extreame Fun in South Africa pilots one of the Hovertrek kits he assembled. | |||||
Robert Wilson, Neoteric Technical Director, again visited for production consultation and began development of a rotary engine powered Hovertrek™.
Neoteric's first 6-passenger Hovertrek™ was shipped to South Korea. Development time exceeded 2000-man hours.
See Hovertrek™ 6 photos here.
2 September 2005, Chris Fitzgerald, and Rob Wilson delivered 2 new Neoteric Rescue Hovertreck™ in a specially designed and crafted Enclosed Dual Hovercraft Trailer with room for a command center in the forward section. Neoteric visited the US Air Force Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) and conducted aaaaa 2-day Hovercraft Pilot and Maintenance Training exercise for 2 students.
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| Neoteric designed and crafted a special enclosed dual hovercraft trailer with an internal area suitable for a command center. | Two Neoteric 4 passenger rescue Hovertreck™ models were transported to the UTTR training site during September 2005. | US Air Force Hovercraft Rescue Team decal on another trailer that was constructed as a show unit. | |||
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| A bird’s eye view of the UTTR mud and salt flat terrain along the western edge of the Great salt lake in Utah. | UTTR Fire Chief David Kallman, during operational training on a salt marsh adjoining the Great salt lake region. | UTTR Hovercraft Operator Cory Lingelbach (Training Program), Received his certificate of Neoteric Hovertreck™ Pilot and Maintenance training. Cory took 3 different levels of trainings with Hovercrafttraining.com during Sep 2005, Apr 2009 and received Neoteric Master Hovercraft Pilot Training, Class 1 Certification Jun 2011 which qualifies him to teach in a defense environment and to train and certify students. | |||
On 31 March 2006 a U.S. Air Force F-16 jet aircraft crashed in Utah near Hill Air Force Base. The pilot, 1st Lieutenant Jay Baer safely ejected before the jet impacted the ground in an inaccessible area of the Great salt lake. In less than an hour, which beat the life flight helicopter from Hill Air force base. A Rescue Hovercraft piloted by Neoteric training center certified rescue Hovertreck™ pilot Cory Lingelbach reached the stranded pilot Baer. See full story here.
With a deep understanding of safety piloting, UTTR had 9 students between September 2005 and June 2011 receive certification in UTTR and at Neoteric Training Center in Terre Haute for multiple levels of trainings.
In April 2006, 4 UTTR pilot students spent a week at Neoteric Hovercraft Training Center in Terre Haute to receive advanced Hovercraft training specialized in ice rescue (Class 2) certificates. See photo.
In June 2011, 3 UTTR pilot students were certified at Neoteric Hovercraft Training Center in Terre Haute to receive the Neoteric Master Hovercraft Pilot Training, Class 1 Certification which qualified him to teach in a defense environment and to train and certify students. See photo.
Neoteric contracted with Rotamax in Ohio USA to supply a proof-of-concept engine for evaluation. This initiated a long-term testing and development phase. The engine eventually failed at 50 hrs along with the Rotamax Company at about the same time the engine crankshaft failed.
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| Neoteric Technical Director, Robert Wilson working on the installation of a 70 HP Rotary engine. This had to be dropped since the supplier went out of business. However the Rotary engine proved to be the most suitable engine yet found for light Hovercraft. | Installation of a 70 HP Rotary 4 cycle engine. This motor proved to be highly suitable for a Light Hovercraft power plan. Neoteric continued the evaluation of this engine for 50 hours of operation. At 50 Hours the Crankshaft failed and around the same time the supplier went out of business. | This Rotary installation had 2 radiators and was liquid cooled. It was quieter and produced a lower frequency noise than the typical 2 cycle engine. | |||
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| Front view of the Rotary Engine installation. The craft performed several rescues before this engine was abandoned. | A Mockup of the Rotamax engine and Fan drive was connected to study optional mounting ideas. | ||||
6 Pilot students from the US Border Patrol visited Neoteric to train in their new 4-passenger rescue Hovertrek™. The training took place on the Wabash River on the 8th and 9th November 2005.
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| HTC standard hovercraft pilot training course – preflight. | U.S. Border Patrol personnel complete the HTC standard hovercraft pilot training course. | ||||
DreamAir Co. Ltd. president Jong Jun Youn visited Neoteric to discuss the status of his current orders.
Ralph Weas a long time member of the Hoverclub of America joined Neoteric as the Business Manager for the purpose of helping expand the company and to manage the myriad of duties that constantly fall on this office.
An electrically operated deployment system was designed and developed by Neoteric for the Hovercraft Pilot to automatically lower and raise a ADCP Digital Mapping Instrument. Depth position of the ADCP Sensor was engineered by Neoteric for the pilot to digitally monitor the sensor data while data was being gathered. This development work was done by Neoteric for use on a hovercraft ordered by the US Bureau of Reclamation to survey the Yakima River in Oregon.
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| The ADCP was raised or lowered electrically along a vertical Tower located above the craft’s Center of Gravity. A cavity in the Hovercraft’s hull [protected the extremely costly ADCP Instrument from under hull damage. It had a large range of more than 12 inches from its storage compartment. | A view of the switching and control set-up which was mounted under the rear side by side seat. | Another view of the deployment mechanism built from non magnetic Aluminum as this could be an issue for keeping the data accurate. | |||
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| Operating inside a cabin the computer Lap-top control station can be seen on the passenger side of the front seat. | Under hull view of a foam mock-up of a typical ADCP data gathering Head. The US Bureau of Reclamation could not spare an actual sensor for us while the development proceeded. | ||||
A private company, Lakemaster Lake Maps, of Minnesota, purchased a hovercraft for sonar mapping of lakes in North America, including Canada.
Neoteric Technical Director Robert Wilson visited Terre Haute, US headquarters in Indiana for new engine development, product development, testing, and to assist with organizing the factory to improve production.
Tristan Linck working as an Intern produced many curriculum guides for DiscoverHover, which continued to grow. It exceeded 2000 participating students, teachers, and schools worldwide.
Futurist for Extremae Fun President Winston Jordaan, Neoteric's dealer in South Africa, achieved his first sale, for a 4-place Inline Deluxe to the South African Natal Nature Conservation Organization.
Hovercraft pilot training continued and a comprehension test and student pilot surveys were added to the training regimen. Photos of training and certified pilots may be viewed on HovercraftTraining.com.
The World Hovercraft Organization continued to be funded by Neoteric Hovercraft, who produces its free email and online quarterly newsletter, HoverWorld Insider, publishing a wide variety of news pertaining to the global light hovercraft industry. As of August 2006, HoverWorld Insider had more than 18,000 subscribers worldwide.
The newly-developed body mold for the Hovertrek™ 6, Neoteric’s six-passenger hovercraft, was completed and placed in production.
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| Fitting metal frame to the Hovertrek™ 6 mold. | Lifting the mold off the Hovertrek™ 6 plug. All Plugs are kept for future use should they be needed. | ||||
Neoteric’s manufacturing facility was expanded, with three new mezzanines, a new spray booth and a new sanding room all in the Fiberglass Building. The factory was organized based on the concept of Cell manufacturing.
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| Building a ventilation duct in the fiberglass shop’s spray room. | |||||
Neoteric designed and built a fully enclosed dual axle hover-on/off trailer for client California Dept. of Water Resources. Following a mobile equipment inspection conducted by the Department, Chris Fitzgerald successfully delivered an enclosed 4 passenger Fuel Injected transport Hovercraft. On location Hovercraft Pilot and Maintenance training was provided on Liberty Island, CA, on January 29 and 30, 2007.
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| Personnel from CA Dept. of Water Resources (fleet management office and biologist) receiving Hovercraft Pilot Certificate with Chris Fitzgerald (2nd from left) in front of their hovercraft in the enclosed hover-on/off trailer. | |||||
Neoteric President Fitzgerald visited Australia to train the company’s first Australian customer, Frederick (Ted) Crocker from Geelong in Victoria. Mr. Crocker purchased the unused (new) HoverWorld Expo Official PaceCraft, which had been stored in Australia since 2004. Ted planned to use this machine for duck hunting.
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| Neoteric’s first Australian customer received pilot training from Chris Fitzgerald at Neoteric’s test & training facility in Hastings, Victoria. More photos here. | |||||
While in Australia, Fitzgerald met with co-designer engineers David Atkins and Robert Wilson about Hovertrek™ design upgrades and production/manufacturing improvements.
Meanwhile Testing continued on evaluating and improving a new rotary-powered hovercraft.
Robert Wilson began full-fledged design and model construction of a new Hyper Performance Hovercraft for racing. This machine utilizes technology developed by Neoteric in the early years (1960s to 1970s) but had until now never been used. The anticipation is that this machine will continue to ensure Neoteric’s forefront position and set a new high mark for this burgeoning new industry.
David Atkins returned to the US Neoteric to undertake design improvements, to upgrade seating and lighting, and to assist with corporate planning.
Work started in earnest to combat the illegal theft of Neoteric identity and technology by Matteo Passoni of HTI in Italy.
Neoteric received a Demand to Cease and Desist from lawyer Gary P. Barket of Little Rock, Arkansas USA on behalf of PhD Ing Matteo Passoni, General Manager of Hi Tech International S.r.l. of Gorgonzola-Milan, Italy concerning a Trade Disparagement of Hi Tech International. HTI's demands included a $20,000 cash payment, removal of HTI and its principals from the Neoteric website, and altering the history section to exclude the names of Matteo Passoni, Tatiana Rasskazova, and Carlo Guido Passoni. HTI’s actions were dropped when their unlawful activities were exposed.
Neoteric demonstrated the Hovertrek™ 6 Rescue craft to a Military delegation from a India. They were however looking for 12 or more seat craft which Neoteric was not supplying during this period.
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| Four High Level officials from the Indian Government Military visit and take a ride along the Wabash River. The delegation subsequently decided to purchase larger craft from Griffon in the UK. | |||||
The Indianapolis Fire Department purchased a Neoteric rescue hovercraft, triggering a flurry of news stories in the Indianapolis Star, WTHI television news in Terre Haute, and Fox 59 and WISH TV 8 in Indianapolis (here) as well as WISH TV anchor Eric Halvorson's blog entry of 31 October, 2007.
On the 17 October 2007 A team of Indianapolis Fire Fighters were given Hovercraft Pilot and Maintenance training at Neoteric’s facility in Terre Haute and on the Wabash River.
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| Indianapolis Fire Department’s Neoteric 6-passenger 100 hp rescue Hovertreck™ sitting atop its Hover On/Off Trailer. | Officials and pilots from Indianapolis Fire Department taking Hovercraft Pilot training with Fitzgerald (1st on the left) using their federally Funded new rescue hovercraft. | ||||
Neoteric amplified focus on improving manufacturing efficiency to match demand. Work station cells for machinery, general assembly, electrical, cables, skirts, and upholstery were created.
Neoteric dealers Igor and Ella Lavrov, of Christy Hovercraft in St. Petersburg, Russia, visited Neoteric for business discussion and to get to know each other.
Neoteric’s newly designed and modified fiberglass shop was put to work.
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| Early developments to perfect Hull Foaming were being evaluated. | The end result was a refined foaming system that is still in use today and has foamed more than 500 hulls of different sizes. | ||||
Research, design work and model testing of the new NeoRacer Model 6153 SuperSport 100 mph racing hovercraft proceeded in Australia. Rob Wilson is responsible for design work while David Atkins is involved with craft styling.
Work was completed on a new 6-passenger hovercraft body, hull, seat, and cabin molds.
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| A New 6-passenger hovercraft with a Gator cabin off for a river test. Note that the craft performs with little effect from the raised doors. | |||||
Chad Steimel, company engineer, began parts and assembly drawings in AutoCAD and ProE.
Testing an MZ engine, made in Canada as a possible optional engine and work also continued on testing a rotary engine which has been undergoing evaluation for some time at Neoteric.
In its Hovercraft Ripoff Report, the World Hovercraft Organization web site details the industrial and economic espionage, intellectual property infringement and trade disparagement committed by Hi Tech International S.r.l. against Neoteric Hovercraft, Inc. and publicizes safety concerns about HTI’s counterfeit hovercraft.
6 Neoteric Hovertreck™ kits are finished and ready for container shipping to the Russian Federation for Christy Hovercraft.
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| Custom color – specially hand painted. | Engine machine modules transported in specially designed by Neoteric for container shipping. | ||||
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| Up to 6 hovercraft kits can fit in a 40-foot container, using steel frames in the container. | Pushing the hovercraft kit into the container with great caution to avoid damage. | ||||
Rob Wilson, Neoteric Technical Director, continues his development work on our new 100 mph Neoteric High-Speed Craft, with body design by David Atkins.
Development of AutoCAD drawings, systems and standards are continued by company engineer Chad Steimel.
The Neoteric factory continued to establish and improved assembly bays (cells) in continuation of the process of improving manufacturing efficiency.
As a result of its plagiarism of the Neoteric Hovercraft web site, Hi Tech International S.r.l. was found in violation of the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and the majority of its web site pages were banned from Google search engine results. Google placed the following notice on each search results page that formerly contained HTI links: In response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed [#] result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal(s) at ChillingEffects.org.
Other major search engines such as Yahoo! are also removing HTI web site pages from their search results.
Neoteric hired MediaSauce, an Indianapolis marketing firm, to help with social media and to create a new Web site for Neoteric.
In March the rotary evaluation engine was rebuilt and our benchmark of 50-hours of testing continued.
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| Inside the Rotamax engine as it underwent refurbishment during testing. |
Neoteric designed a new 25-seat gas turbine-powered hovercraft as part of our interest in the ongoing Indian market.
Alan Fitzgerald, an Australian Accounting consultant and Chris’s brother, visits Neoteric to streamline the company’s accounting processes and to assist with an Indiana state audit in which the company was involved.
Neoteric trains and certifies personnel from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to pilot their new 6-passenger commercial Hovertrek™. The hovercraft is to be used to measure water currents on the Skagit Bay Tidal Flats in Washington, USA. See photos and read comments.
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| Dr. Steve Elgar, Senior Scientist of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (on the left) receiving Hovercraft Pilot and Maintenance Certificate from Chris Fitzgerald. | Dr. Steve Elgar collecting samples with their Woods Hole 6 passenger Neoteric Hovertreck™. | ||||
Neoteric contracted 3D Engineering Solutions, Cincinnati, Ohio to undertake a complete digital mapping of all master plugs and to prepare CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machine tool paths for new tool building. The project was completed in December 2009.
MediaSauce, an Indianapolis, Indiana marketing firm, was contracted to partner with Neoteric to design and implement a continuing marketing evolutionary philosophy for the company and to position Neoteric in the digital marketplace. Ultimately the work of this company was a wash and they failed to produce any creditable results or support. It was decided to discontinue the relationship as it became clear that many problems were present with MediaSauce's approach.
Neoteric terminated a three year 50-hour Rotamax 70 HP rotary engine evaluation, in part because Rotamax was liquidated and could no longer support their engine technically. At the same time, Neoteric began the evaluation of a 4-cycle high performance Yamaha Snowmobile engine suitable for hovercraft use.
Neoteric engineering team Rob Wilson and David Atkins continued their work in Australia on the design and development of the new Neoteric High-Performance Hovercraft.
Neoteric began a major upgrade of its computer-based manufacturing system “NeoNet”.
Neoteric trains and certifies pilots from the ST-5 Hovercraft Team and the Hovering Across Canada Foundation. Their Neoteric Hovercraft will make history by being the first light hovercraft to fly 11,000 km from Victoria, BC to St. John’s, NFLD to raise funds for the fight against prostate cancer. A film crew will accompany the team to shoot episodes for a national/international reality show.
Colin Steadman, President of ACSA (Alberta Construction Safety Association) and CEO of Hovering Across Canada Foundation contacted Neoteric Hovercraft Inc in April 2009 explaining his interest in using a Hovertreck™ for this adventure. Steadman's aim was:
1. To raise awareness & funds to fight Prostate Cancer.
2. To celebrate Canada’s 100th anniversary of aviation.
3. To celebrate Canada’s hovercraft history, and
4. To promote hovering as a great recreational sport & past time.
After thirty years of service in the Canadian Armed Force, time spent with STARS air ambulance, and as a stuntman with a deep understanding of safety and reliability, Colin believes Neoteric light hovercraft would be the best choice for his hovering adventure.
His friend, Mark Shorhen, an aviation technician joined him on 18 August 2009 to undergo the Hovercraft Pilot, Operation and Maintenance Training. After years spent securing funding, sponsorship, and all aspects involved for the adventure, in 2015, Colin and his family were finally ready to start their adventure in one of Neoteric Hovertreck™. Read full story here. Click here to read the news on CBC.CA.
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| Canadians Colin Steadman (in the middle) and Mark Shorhen (on the left) receive Hovercraft Pilot and Maintenance Certificate from Chris Fitzgerald, President of Neoteric Hovercraft and Instructor of Hovercraft Training Centers. | |||||
In July of 2009 Tad Agoglia (Disaster Recovery Solutions LLC and First response Team of America approached Neoteric for a donation of a Rescue Hovercraft to be used in their rescue endeavors. After some time Tad was able to find sponsorship and subsequently ordered a Black Rescue Fuel Injected 65 HP Hovertrek. Tad was one of CNN’s top ten Heros in 2008. This attention enabled Tad to garner support from Caterpillar Bulldozers, Peterbuilt Trucks and many other companies. The team travels to disaster scenes where they capture media attention for their endeavors. In September he visited Neoteric and took delivery of his craft and to organize a mock rescue using his new machine. A documentary film crew traveled to Neoteric to film an episode for Tad's production. Because of Tad's prior Hovercraft operational experience he did not avail himself of Neoteric training. Subsequently Tad struggled with operating the craft and decided to limit his team’s work to operating heavy equipment. See a full gallery of photos here.
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| Photo of Tad Agoglia with Hovercraft Thrust Fans in background. |
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| The documentary film crew getting equipment ready. | Pre-flight interview with Neoteric President Fitzgerald. | Steve Stafford, Hovercraft Training Center Instructor piloting the Neoteric rescue Hovertrek™ on a rescue mission with Bob Paynter, Staff photographer at The Terre Haute Tribune Star. | ||
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| Hovering close to the victim clasping to a floating log. | Victim is lifted into the stable Hovercraft and positioned in a Junkin basket for transportation to safety. | The victim now in the stretcher basket, an optional part for all Neoteric rescue Hovertrek™ |
Neoteric makes headlines by using its Hoverlifter technology to move a 7,000-pound steel building. It has also been used for such purposes as moving half-ton Industrial Fan units around on the roof top of a 140-acre Aluminum rolling mill factory roof. See Building Floats for photos and details.
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| Hovercraft Fans with air bags are installed at either end of the steel building. | As the fans hummed away, a crew used ropes at its corners to guide the floating structure around the fiberglass shop (the building on the left). | The finished look of the steel building construction in its final resting place. No trees had to be removed and no powerlines were damaged. Concrete sidwalks were unharmed. | |||
Neoteric launches a new blog providing an inside view into the hovercraft industry: Neoteric Hovercraft Blog
Neoteric signs first hovercraft dealer in Taiwan, Yoshine Helicopter Company. Chris Fitzgerald trains Yoshine hovercraft pilots Gordon, Charles and Peggy Lin.
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| Peggy Lin (first on the left), Charles Lin (first on the right), Gordon Lin (second on the right) receiving Hovercraft Pilot and Maintenance Certificate from Chris Fitzgerald. | |||||
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