Regrettably, for the citizens of Gloucestershire and the Gloucestershire Fire Rescue Service, the two new rescue hovercraft will prove to be useless during flood emergencies. In addition, they will prove to be expensive to maintain, difficult to operate and incapable of carrying a sufficient payload.
When operated in flood environments the hovercraft's rubber skirting will be damaged by flood debris and the size of the craft will prove to be impractical for executing any real rescue missions. The vessels will prove to be too small to carry both rescue personnel and flood victims.
The bottom line is: the hovercraft are sexy but will prove to be impractical. If our neighbors from across the pond had watched and learned from the flooding of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, they would have noticed that there were few hovercraft involved in the rescue efforts and those that were suffered the same problems as described above. Any watercraft made of rubber or vinyl will prove useless for flood rescue operations.
R. Dummett, FF/PM, MSFF, FSI, BSI, Ret.
American Airboat Search and Rescue Assoc.
United States
www.airboatsar.org

R. Dummett of the American Airboat Search and Rescue Association obviously has a day job to do, to promote airboats, no doubt his organisation does good work too. GLOUCESTERSHIRE Fire and Rescue Service conducted a considerable amount of research following last year's floods, and hovercraft do have an important role to play. Hovercraft are capable of operating in areas where conventional boats find access difficult, for example over farmers field; submerged wire fences foul propellers etc. We manufacture hovercraft in Southampton UK and export the Hov Pod all over the world for rescue and commercial applications, only wish we could have supplied GLOUCESTERSHIRE Fire and Rescue Service - but I do know that the craft supplied is one that was loaned during the crisis last year, and it proved to be very useful. I am sure airboats are great too, but don't rubbish hovercraft, every vehicle has it's merits.

Hovercraft have long been used to transport huge payloads for passenger ferrys and military. Many areas use hovercraft that are appropriately sized and equipped for various search and rescue services. As with airboats, the key phrase here is sized and equipped. Obviously a small racing SCAT or 2 man SERV is not the ideal hovercraft for rescue operations. Just like a mini or two seat airboat is not the ideal airboat for rescue operations. Both airboats and hovercraft have the ability to traverse shallow water areas and to travel across land, if needed. Hovercraft skirting can be torn or snagged by debris; however they do hover over the water surface so submerged items may be less a hazard than to an airboat. The durable polymer lined heavy gauge aluminum hulls of an airboat enable them to survive scrapes with some submerged hazards, but they too must be cautious to avoid direct collision with obstacles. In any rescue operation, it is imperative that trained and skilled operators who understand the hazards as well as their boats capabilities and limitations be involved. www.airboatingmagazi
ne.com
Laurie Hauke, Editor, Airboating Magazine