What is a hovercraft? A hovercraft is the air cushion vehicle (ACV) that flies above the earth's surface on a cushion of air. It is powered by an engine that provides both the lift cushion and the thrust for forward or reverse movement.
The hovercraft is a true multi-terrain, year-round vehicle that can easily make the transition from land to water because it slides on a cushion [bubble] of air with the hovercraft skirt slightly brushing the surface.
Hovercraft are so versatile that their applications are as diverse as the people who use them.
They are most often used to reach areas that are inaccessible on foot or by conventional vehicles. A partial listing of present uses includes:
. Exploring the vast number of shallow and narrow waterways that cannot be reached by boat
. Rescue work on swift water, ice, snow, mud flats, deserts, wetlands, shallow water, swamps, bogs, marshes and floodwaters.
. Affordable, safe way to fly without a pilot's license.
. Transport in environmentally sensitive areas where habitat, erosion and soil compaction are a concern
. Wildlife conservation and research
. Transportation or "island-hopping" with clients for real estate purposes
. Fishing anywhere ... including ice fishing
. Travelling from land to water where there is no boat dock
. Military services
. Dive recovery teams
. Retrieving birds from tailings ponds at mining sites
. Water management
. Port authorities/drug enforcement
. TV and film companies
. Entertainment at Disney World water shows
. Agricultural spraying
. Survey work
. Forestation
. Heavy load movement across difficult surfaces
. Mosquito abatement
. Environmental testing
. Charter operations
. Oil spill clean up
. Removing leaves from Pecan farms
. "Bird hazing" - chasing geese from lakes in the vicinity of airports
Earth Wind & Fire Company Limited
158/60 Moo.6 Cheungdoi, Doi Saket, Chiang Mai 50220 Thailand.
