Rescue Hovercraft

During emergencies, rescue operations need to be fast to respond to various situations. In mud, quicksand, floods, ice or mixed terrain, conventional vehicles have serious limitations, and to overcome access issues then need auxiliary equipment such as floatation platforms to reach victims from mud and ice.

  


The Hov Pod SPX All Terrain Rescue Hovercraft (ATRH) can be configured to carry people or relief aid or rescue equipment and staff. The Hov Pod All Terrain Rescue Hovercraft (ATRH) can be modified to take specialist equipment, for spine boards, GPS, VHF radios etc. The ATRH is significantly more cost effective than larger hovercraft or helicopters and its size makes it very versatile and maneuverable to access constricted areas.

The Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft can be deployed quickly and safely in areas where traditional boats and all-terrain vehicles cannot get access.

During flooding emergencies, a lot of garbage will float in the water and traditional rescue boat propellers easily get snagged and become immobilised; water jet in-take engines are also affected; hovercraft do not have propellers or jet in-take engines. Rescue boats are restricted by fast running water, whereas the Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft will hover typically 8 inches above the surface and is therefore less affected.

Traditional vehicles cannot access tidal waters, or traverse over sand and mud flats, or reach victims that have fallen through ice. Helicopters are expensive to operate, and 100 mph downdraft winds require a long winch cable which slows response times – when waters rise, victims climb trees and pylons, helicopters cannot see victims under thick tree cover or operate near pylons.

  

TCC + Specification

For rescue and commercial operations we recommend that you select the TCC+ hull, our latest version craft with dedicated and improved specifications to meet the demands for rescue use. The TCC+ craft incorporate a higher specification increased hull thickness in impact areas through more material and a more complex and costly oven cycle time to get more strength into the outer periphery of the craft, plus military spec. cooling system and gantry, additional electric power points. 

Colour Options

The Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft craft can be ordered in choice of colour, in standard Red, Blue or Yellow, or for visibility, the option is available for Rescue Orange.

Rescue Options

There are a number of recommended options for rescue applications, we can send you a detailed price estimate in pdf format or excel format if you wish to configure the craft in your currency.  

Rescue Considerations

Global warming, regardless of whether man made or natural, appears here to stay and more likely to create more flooding emergencies. Flooding can disrupt a large area and wash away roads and bridges. If flooding is widespread, response capability can be severely hampered by not having the right equipment in the right place at the right time.

The Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft is designed to be easy to use and affordable - cheaper to buy than the daily operation costs of some helicopters and large hovercraft.

Ease of Operation

The operator does not have to have special hovercraft pilot certification, so many rescue hovercraft can be deployed over a large area to respond where required - larger hovercraft are often in the wrong place and can only be operated by highly trained pilots in open areas. Larger hovercraft can cost many times the cost of one Hov Pod, so a fleet of Hov Pod Rescue Hovercraft can transport more personnel and essential goods, to where and when they are needed. It is easy to operate with a minimum of training and anyone can learn to drive it in about 15 minutes, it really is simple and designed to make life easy. We spent time to design out the need for confusing extra controls and careful attention to detail on the balance and trim of the craft so the Hov Pod is simple, instinctive and easy to drive. This also allows you to train anyone to operate to use it as and when it is necessary to do so - no special training required. We sell direct since the Hov Pod is easy to operate, and maintain.

Respected Brand

Many rescue organisations have purchased the Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft including the United Nations World Food Program, Argentinean Coastguard, Hong Kong Harbour patrol, DLRG, and The Red Cross. The Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft has saved lives during a number of flooding and rescue situations.

Why Hov Pod is different

The Hov Pod Hovercraft is the only hovercraft currently available manufactured from High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE). All terrain vehicles need to be very strong and take punishment in day to day use over ice, water debris, stones, rocks, rough terrain and bumps and dips in the surface. The new generation Hov Pod incorporates a 3-layer TCC HDPE composite.  The superior weight to strength ratio for TCC HDPE is vastly superior to glass fibre, that is why it is used for kayaks (that continually hit and ride off submerged rocks) and to create artificial joints, ice rink puck impact plates and F1 crash barriers. This ensures that the Hov Pod is lightweight, extremely buoyant, yet far stronger and more impact resistant than brittle glass fibre (GRP) which cracks and breaks on impact. You can hit HDPE with a mallet or jump up and down on it without cracking it, which means that the Hov Pod can withstand operational use, impacts, knocks and bumps that destroy other craft. HDPE allows us to manufacture hulls at a faster rate to improve delivery times and respond to growing demand. Unlike GRP that requires special backing plates to be bonded in and fiberglass skills HDPE is very easy to modify and adapt to accept mounts and extra equipment

As an example our demonstrator craft has been driven up and own our local debris infested river and tidal banks on average twice a week for 4 years. In that time we demonstrate the hulls durability by going over rubble, blocks, stones etc and after 4 years of this recently turned our hull over to replace the sacrificial skids we fit………….no hull damage had occurred despite regular knocks and bangs and a few heavy impacts with larger debris lying on the shore. After 4 years of use the owner is far more satisfied to have chosen HDPE as a material that withstands these knocks as opposed to an alternative hull material that is severely worn down, damaged or has shattered into pieces, sometimes in only 6 months.

Ice and snow

Because of this HDPE hull the Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft is ideal for general rugged use but in particular over ice and snow. Unlike snowmobiles and boats the Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft is a true year round solution and is not affected by thinning ice, water pools, melting ice, broken ice or access to or from ice or water lakes.

We have supplied craft for use in Scandinavia, Canada and Central Europe; please see some of the You Tube links at http://hovpod-in-use.blogspot.co.uk/p/snow-ice.html  in our video area on the website. The Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft hull is far more suitable than thin glass fibre constructed hovercraft hulls that shatter on impact with ice or debris in water or mud. This characteristic is particularly comforting in cold climates as some glass fibre hovercraft in the past have sunk or let on board freezing water exposing occupants to the threat of hypothermia.

Engineering

The Hov Pod SPX is in a class of its own, designed by CAD and made on CAM machines from highly durable materials and processes. This means that components such as the drive parts are made to high levels of accuracy and quality for increased operational durability, safety and reliability. The Hov Pod unlike many other craft is also designed for salt water operation with enclosed quick lift off engine covers and parts such as high specification electrical components and stainless steel fittings to minimise corrosion and increase operational reliability and safety. The simple yet rugged design and use of quality components mean that servicing where required is easy to undertake.

Safety

The Hov Pod SPX is designed with safety in mind, compared to other craft it is the class leader made from high quality durable parts and with many features unique to the Hov Pod such as HDPE impact resistant hulls, anti rip skirts, rear guarding, ease of operation, anti plough (most craft dig in at high speed, operators can be thrown dangerously forwards and then don't have enough power to get going again) and unlike most other craft (which actually will sink if flooded) contain complete integral flooded conditions buoyancy. Some craft even take on water in calm conditions if they are incorrectly balanced.

  

Skirt Material

Cheap thin skirts get ripped and are expensive to keep replacing, and dangerous if ripped by debris or ice, so we have rejected Hypalon (which rips too easily) and Neoprene coated nylon (which suffers from UV degradation) The Hov Pod SPX TCC+ Rescue Hovercraft skirt material is a unique specially developed Polyurethane / Nylon weave and fabric combination with anti-rip properties and incredible wear resistance. It means you can operate in far greater safety and will not be forever changing or repairing skirts. Even when cut by sharp scissors it is almost impossible to extend the cut. 65 Individual skirt sections and the unique IAPSS skirt design gives far greater flexibility, continued operational ability and high speed safety.

Request Samples

To receive samples of the unique HDPE hull and Polyurethane / Nylon weave skirt materials, please contact us.

For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Philippine Floods - Rescue considerations

Philippine Floods – preparing for the next time.

Global warming is here to stay, so government and fire / rescue departments should consider the following problems associated with flood rescues.

Rescue boats are not very practical during floods, hovercraft are far more useful.

Why rescue boats fail during flooding

During the floods in The Philippines, many rescue boats became immobilized due to debris floating in the water interfering with rescue boat propellers.

Flood Rescue Hovercraft

During a flood, expect to negotiate garbage consisting of plastic bags, rice sacks, construction debris, and trash from shopping malls, hardware shops, supermarkets and hospitals. Expect also, raw sewerage.

During a flood, expect fast running water. 

Rescue hovercraft have no propeller to get entangled with floating debris, and hovercraft are not affected by fast running water as they hover about 8 inches above the surface.

Health Problems

Floods also cause sewerage systems to fail, so raw sewerage will be in the water that rescuers have to wade through to reach victims, when their propellers get snagged with garbage.

When floods subside.

Immediately after flooding, there will be an urgent need for medicines and clean, fresh drinking water and food to prevent diseases associated with raw sewerage contamination.

Diseases caused by contact with raw sewerage are caused by pathogens, such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses that can cause a wide range of conditions such as diarrhea and infections, such as mild gastroenteritis, severe fatigue, cholera, and hepatitis. These illnesses can be violent and unpleasant, but mostly pass after several days or weeks with no lasting effects. In some cases, however, pathogens can cause serious long-term illnesses or even death. There also also viruses associated with rodents and cockroaches, viruses from plants and viruses that prey on bacteria. Known viruses detected in raw sewage include norovirus, which causes stomach flu.

For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Rescue Hovercraft

Rescue Hovercraft

Hovercraft can travel across some many different types of terrain, so can quickly be deployed to save lives that might otherwise be lost if rescue teams have to rely on other forms of transport.

Flood Rescue

During floods, boats often become immobilised due to underwater obstructions, such as street furniture, wire fences that can damage a propeller - hovercraft have no propellers to get snagged.

Compared to Helicopters

Hovercraft are more affordable to buy and operate than helicopters. Helicopters create tremendous down draft winds of up to 100 mph, so long winch cables are deployed, and rescue attempts can be long. During floods, rising waters force victims to climb trees and power pylons - helicopters cannot operate near power lines, and pilots cannot see victims below dense tree cover. Helicopters have poor communications with people affected by floods - rescue hovercraft often prove more cost effective. Hovercraft are very helpful in post flooding relief efforts to transport food and medicines where required.

Mud Rescue

As tides change, the viscosity of mud changes and becomes more difficult to escape from. If you put pressure on one foot to pull out another, the supporting foot gets trapped. Boats, Jet Skis, so called ATV all terrain vehicles are pretty useless during mud rescues, and rescue teams place their own lives in danger trying to reach the victims. As conditions are usually cold, not only is the victim subject to shock and drowning, hypothermia can immobilise movement, so getting a victim to grab a rope (assuming it can be thrown) to pull his own body weight is not always possible. Hovercraft provide the quickest way to reach mud victims, to help them escape before they succumb to hypothermia. A CO2 mud lance can be used to release suction pressure, provided you can get the right tools to the right spot in time.

Ice Rescue

Ice rescue is difficult with normal vehicles, hovercraft  provide the quickest method to rescue a victim who has fallen through the ice, and speed is essential to minimise the threat of the cold and hypothermia. Hovercraft rescue teams can reach victims that are impossible to reach by any other form of transport, without putting their own lives into danger.

Essential features required for a rescue hovercraft.

Durability

Rescue hovercraft in the past have tended to be manufactured from thin glass fibre, the Hov Pod is unique, the only Hovercraft available manufactured from High Density Polyethylene. HDPE is extremely strong and durable, so won't crack and fracture like glass fibre. HDPE has impressive buoyancy properties, and the Hov Pod has been tested to hold over one ton in weight before any water ingression.

Some suppliers fit neoprene coated nylon or Hypalon skirts that need constant replacements. We fit polyurethane / nylon skirts - they cost more to fit, but last much longer. The Hov Pod hovercraft skirt material is a unique specially developed weave and fabric combination with anti-rip properties and incredible wear resistance. It means you can operate in greater safety and will not be forever changing or repairing skirts. Individual skirt sections and the unique IAPSS skirt design gives far greater flexibility, continued operational ability and high speed safety.

Ease of Use

You cannot rely on specialist pilots 24/7 so ease of hovercraft use is essential. We can provide full training but most operators can operate confidently after just a couple of hour's tuition. Hov Pods are designed to be easy to use, with automatic trim, minimal controls, just start, accelerate, steer and stop.

Speed of operation

The Hov Pod Hovercraft can reach speeds of up to 40 mph. Optional trailer can be towed by a standard car, and the Hov Pod Hovercraft can be unloaded or loaded in 30 seconds by one operator. See video at http://www.hovercraft-options.com/p/standard.html

Reliability - Hov Pod Hovercraft Engineering

We exploit digital technology using Computer Aided Design (CAD) to provide digital data for computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programs to ensure your trouble free operations. In modern CNC systems, end-to-end component design is highly automated using computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programs. The programs produce a computer file that is interpreted to extract the commands needed to operate a particular machine via a postprocessor, and then loaded into the CNC machines for production. Robotic automated control systems move the component and select different multiple tools to follow the complex series of steps needed to produce the engineered parts in a highly automated way - without manual human intervention.

We tried using the parts other hovercraft suppliers' use, but they suffered unacceptable failure rates, so we now fit highly accurate engineering parts to ensure low vibration, minimal wear, and extremely low component failure rates to ensure your trouble free operation. Electrical connections and all electrical terminations are made in dry compartments and/or contained within sealed boxes using the highest quality marine IP67 or IP66 sealed inline connectors. When operating on water this offers far greater security of operation than standard exposed terminal blocks and crimped butt connectors.

Supplier Component Evolution

Designs evolve, we have tried the components, engines, and materials still used by other hovercraft suppliers and have rejected them. We do not want technical issues, nor do our customers, hence our supplier weed out policy to ensure we fit the best components and ensure that we use the best most reliable suppliers available.

For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Flood Rescue

Rescue Hovercraft

Memories fade, but many will remember the terrible floods in Thailand last year and the level of devastation and disruption floods can bring. Recent announcements from politicians in Thailand seek to assure residents that last years floods will not happen again this year, indeed very comforting to hear, but not necessarily true. In the UK, we have just had the wettest June records began in 1910; I think we are probably heading for the wettest July, there goes summer!

Rescue organisations and governments need to make preparation for floods before they happen. Every year we receive urgent calls for rescue hovercraft to be made available for next day delivery, alas hovercraft take a little time to manufacture, flooding preparation is required, to ensure equipment is available to emergency services, before the emergency happens.

Rescue Hovercraft are often more practical than a rescue boat, because unlike search and rescue boats, hovercraft do not have propellers to get snagged on submerged wire fences, street furniture, tree roots etc. In addition to flood rescue, hovercraft rescue craft make all the difference between life and death for victims of ice rescue, sand and mud rescue – boat rescue is impossible from these surfaces, and speed is essential to ensure that victims do not succumb to drowning or hypothermia. (Even a fast rescue boat will slow down on mud and sand!)

Ice training rescue will have rescuers donning dry suits and throwing lifelines as far as they can be thrown, but hypothermia will paralyse victims and make it difficult to grab a life line. Mud rescue victims get sucked down, an air lance mat be required to pump gas to reduce the suction to release the victim. Emergency services seeking water rescue boats for sale should consider the wider capabilities of rescue hovercraft for flood, mud and ice rescues.

Hovercraft are now smaller, more affordable and do not require specialist pilots or engineers to maintain them. Easy to drive, maintain and transport behind standard car with optional trailer, the unique Hov Pod Hovercraft is in a league of its own.

Rescue hovercraft need to be tough, and as hovercraft are weight dependent, many smaller hovercraft tend to be manufactured from very thin lightweight glass fibre, not suitable to stand up to rescue activities. We manufacture hovercraft for rescue applications from tough and extremely buoyant High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Here is a video clip showing just how durable HDPE is for rescue hovercraft applications. - http://hovercraft-durability.blogspot.co.uk/

The most popular rescue hovercraft for sale we have available is configured with a 120HP Turbo powered 4 stroke engine that will lift 325 Kgs from an on-water start.

Contact us for a free guide and hull / skirt sample pack.

For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Rescue Hovercraft

Rescue Hovercraft

Hovercraft can travel across some many different types of terrain, so can quickly be deployed to save lives that might otherwise be lost if rescue teams have to rely on other forms of transport.

Flood Rescue
During floods, boats often become immobilised due to underwater obstructions, such as street furniture, wire fences that can damage a propeller - hovercraft have no propellers to get snagged.

Compared to Helicopters

Hovercraft are more affordable to buy and operate than helicopters. Helicopters create tremendous down draft winds of up to 100 mph, so long winch cables are deployed, and rescue attempts can be long. During floods, rising waters force victims to climb trees and power pylons - helicopters cannot operate near power lines, and pilots cannot see victims below dense tree cover. Helicopters have poor communications with people affected by floods - rescue hovercraft often prove more cost effective. Hovercraft are very helpful in post flooding relief efforts to transport food and medicines where required.

Mud Rescue

As tides change, the viscosity of mud changes and becomes more difficult to escape from. If you put pressure on one foot to pull out another, the supporting foot gets trapped. Boats, Jet Skis, so called ATV all terrain vehicles are pretty useless during mud rescues, and rescue teams place their own lives in danger trying to reach the victims. As conditions are usually cold, not only is the victim subject to shock and drowning, hypothermia can immobilise movement, so getting a victim to grab a rope (assuming it can be thrown) to pull his own body weight is not always possible. Hovercraft provide the quickest way to reach mud victims, to help them escape before they succumb to hypothermia. A CO2 mud lance can be used to release suction pressure, provided you can get the right tools to the right spot in time.

Ice Rescue

Ice rescue is difficult with normal vehicles, hovercraft  provide the quickest method to rescue a victim who has fallen through the ice, and speed is essential to minimise the threat of the cold and hypothermia. Hovercraft rescue teams can reach victims that are impossible to reach by any other form of transport, without putting their own lives into danger.

Essential features required for a rescue hovercraft.

Durability

Rescue hovercraft in the past have tended to be manufactured from thin glass fibre, the Hov Pod is unique, the only Hovercraft available manufactured from High Density Polyethylene. HDPE is extremely strong and durable, so won't crack and fracture like glass fibre. HDPE has impressive buoyancy properties, and the Hov Pod has been tested to hold over one ton in weight before any water ingression.

Some suppliers fit neoprene coated nylon or Hypalon skirts that need constant replacements. We fit polyurethane / nylon skirts - they cost more to fit, but last much longer. The Hov Pod hovercraft skirt material is a unique specially developed weave and fabric combination with anti-rip properties and incredible wear resistance. It means you can operate in greater safety and will not be forever changing or repairing skirts. Individual skirt sections and the unique IAPSS skirt design gives far greater flexibility, continued operational ability and high speed safety.

Ease of Use

You cannot rely on specialist pilots 24/7 so ease of hovercraft use is essential. We can provide full training but most operators can operate confidently after just a couple of hour's tuition. Hov Pods are designed to be easy to use, with automatic trim, minimal controls, just start, accelerate, steer and stop.

Speed of operation

The Hov Pod Hovercraft can reach speeds of up to 40 mph. Optional trailer can be towed by a standard car, and the Hov Pod Hovercraft can be unloaded or loaded in 30 seconds by one operator. See video at http://www.hovercraft-options.com/p/standard.html

Reliability - Hov Pod Hovercraft Engineering

We exploit digital technology using Computer Aided Design (CAD) to provide digital data for computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programs to ensure your trouble free operations. In modern CNC systems, end-to-end component design is highly automated using computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programs. The programs produce a computer file that is interpreted to extract the commands needed to operate a particular machine via a postprocessor, and then loaded into the CNC machines for production. Robotic automated control systems move the component and select different multiple tools to follow the complex series of steps needed to produce the engineered parts in a highly automated way - without manual human intervention.

We tried using the parts other hovercraft suppliers' use, but they suffered unacceptable failure rates, so we now fit highly accurate engineering parts to ensure low vibration, minimal wear, and extremely low component failure rates to ensure your trouble free operation. Electrical connections and all electrical terminations are made in dry compartments and/or contained within sealed boxes using the highest quality marine IP67 or IP66 sealed inline connectors. When operating on water this offers far greater security of operation than standard exposed terminal blocks and crimped butt connectors.

For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and http://www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Rescue Hovercraft Attributes

The Hov Pod SPX can be deployed quickly and safely where many traditional vehicles cannot access and its rescue uses include local mud/tidal waters or ice rescue together with more widespread use for flood rescue and relief work. In flood response situations flooding can disrupt a large area and wash away roads and bridges.

The Hov Pod Rescue Hovercraft is designed to be easy to use and affordable - cheaper to buy than the daily operation costs of some helicopters & large hovercraft. The operator does not have to have special training, so many rescue hovercraft can be deployed over a large area to respond where required.

Rescue organisations that have purchased include the Hov Pod for rescue applications include United Nations World Food Program, Argentinean Coastguard, Hong Kong Harbour patrol, DLRG, and The Red Cross.

The Hov Pod is not manufactured from glass fibre - we manufacture hulls from HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and our second generation version is referred to as TCC (Thermal Controlled Composite). This high impact material is very strong, though lightweight, and has excellent integral buoyancy.

Because of this HDPE hull the Hov Pod is ideal for general rugged use but in particular over ice and snow. Unlike snowmobiles and boats the Hov Pod is a true year round solution and is not affected by thinning ice, water pools, melting ice, broken ice or access to or from ice or water lakes. We have sold craft for use in Scandinavia, Canada and Central Europe, please see some of the You Tube links in our video area on the website.

The Hov Pod Hull is therefore far more suitable than thin glass fibre constructed hovercraft hulls that shatter on impact with ice or debris in water or mud. This characteristic is particularly comforting in cold climates as some glass fibre hovercraft in the past have sunk or let on board freezing water exposing occupants to the threat of hypothermia.

The other critical area to consider is the skirts. Thin skirts get ripped and are expensive to keep replacing, and dangerous if ripped by debris or ice. The Hov Pod skirt material is a unique specially developed Polyurethane / Nylon weave & fabric combination with anti-rip properties & incredible wear resistance. It means you can operate in far greater safety & will not be forever changing or repairing skirts. Even when cut by sharp scissors it is almost impossible to extend the cut. 65 Individual skirt sections & the unique IAPSS skirt design gives far greater flexibility, continued operational ability & high speed safety.

Ten fall through ice on Swedish lake
The Local.se
The association had decided to relocate a hovercraft from Halland on Sweden's west coast to the island of Visingsö in the southern part of Vättern over the weekend for safety reasons. The vessel complemented another hovercraft from Vadstena on the ...
For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

NJ State Police rescue 6 from boat stuck on mudflat off Egg Harbor Twp.
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — State police used a borrowed hovercraft to rescue six people from a pontoon boat that got stuck in the mud in a southern New Jersey waterway. No injuries were reported in Saturday's incident in Egg Harbor Township.
For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Rescue Hovercraft

In rescue situations, time is important.

Hov Pod rescue hovercraft are designed to be easy to transport by conventional trailer towed by standard car – no need for expensive transporters or police escorts; when time is critical, the ability to get to where help is needed fast makes all the difference between rescue or recovery.

Hov Pod commercial hovercraft options to suit different configurations to meet the various requests we have received from fire, police, rescue and other commercial organizations.
 

We have just released a new version of the Hov Pod Hovercraft that we think could play a valuable and important role in rescue, in situations where larger hovercraft are restricted by access.
 

Constructed from High Density PE, far stronger, more buoyant than glass fibre. Can load, unload from trailer in 30 seconds, and easily transportable by standard car to reach rescue victims. No expensive transporters required or police escorts, so you can quickly travel to the victims by road. Easy to use, quick to deploy, to reach flash flooded areas, or to reach mud and ice/ hypothermia victims when time is critical.
 

Operators can be trained in less than one day.
 

Features include: 

Anti plough system, good on water start characteristics.
 

New 120 HP Turbo 4 stroke engine. Sufficient power to take driver, paramedic and victim. Wide range of rescue options, such as search lights, lifting points, GPS/VHF Radio mountings, etc
 

For further information, please visit www.hovpod.com and www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Rescue hovercraft for flood rescue.

The floods in Pakistan have been devastating, and global warming appears to have contributed to widespread problems by in some way affecting the the east to west high altitude jetstream. Sadly, flooding will be more common in future, and authorities are now scrambling to ensure that provisions and food can be quickly transported to areas where the road infrastructure has disappeared.

The new generation of rescue hovercraft are lightweight and nimble and can more easily be transported to areas worse affected by the floods. Rescue hovercraft are more affordable than their larger military hovercraft cousins, and so multiple craft can be deployed over a far greater geographic area. The cost of one rescue hovercraft can be less than the operational costs of one helicopter for one day. See www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Oil Spill Rescue Hovercraft

Popular Gulf of Mexico holiday resorts in Louisiana and Florida are bracing themselves as the oil from the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon rig reaches shore in the coming days. The threat to wildlife along the coastline - and the devastating repercussions for the local economy - now look likely to be much worse than initially feared. The spill was bigger than imagined - and closer. Five times more oil than BP estimated is gushing into the ocean from the rig which exploded.
Rescue Hovercraft Manufacturer Reaction International Ltd have received a number of enquiries from wildlife charities to discuss ways of protecting vulnerable birds and marine wildlife from the disaster, and are in discussions with their USA dealer to discuss how best to get rescue hovercraft to areas where they are most needed. Rescue hovercraft fly above the water and ground and can quickly get to areas that conventional boats and vehicles cannot reach, Hovercraft are ideal for this type of operation, for further details visit http://www.rescue-hovercraft.com/

Flood Rescue Equipment

Whilst there is still some debate as to whether global warming is getting worse or not, Hovercraft manufacturer Reaction International Ltd reports a significant year on year increase in sales for rescue hovercraft, as used by the Red Cross during the recent flooding in the UK.

Hovercraft are particularly useful in situations like flooding since hovercraft do not have propellers; apparently, street furniture and wire fencing straddled across farmland can quickly damage boat propellers leaving them immobile, whereas hovercraft float 9 inches above the surface, no problem. Mud and ice rescues are dangerous for rescuers, particularly at this time of year when temperatures are low. Hypothermia can slow mobility and impair judgement to place rescuers in danger - hovercraft can access areas out of bounds to rescue boats.  Rescue boats are pretty useless on mud flats and iced up lakes, and rescuers are often unable to reach victims without putting themselves in serious danger. For further details visit Rescue Hovercraft

New Rescue Hovercraft

Hov Pod announce the release of their latest rescue hovercraft, the Hov Pod SPX Turbo charged 120HP model fitted with 4 stroke engine. This rescue hovercraft will be very useful for rescue crews operating in flooded areas to reach flood victims, where speed and access to flooded areas require rapid response.