Does anyone here have any experience whatsoever with hovercraft? I know a certain number of LCAC drivers retire from the Navy every year…are there any companies operating similar craft? Where do they get their operators? Does anyone know a salary range or even the actual number of jobs that might be out there (in the US)?
I know Japan, China, UK, Canada and a few other countries us hovercraft for various transport and ferry service…is this a growth industry? What are the prospects for hovercraft in the future…crew boat…ferry…tour…charter…???
I would very much be interested in hearing from anyone with information on these questions.
Thanks in advance.
Wow…really?
[QUOTE=rshrew;102228]Lynden www.lynden.com operates hovercrafts in western Alaska.[/QUOTE]
You might also look at [B]Hoverlink[/B] www.hoverlink.us.com. They are part of Kvichak Marine in Seattle and they run a semi-scheduled ferry link between the new airport up in Akutan, AK and the fish processing plant in the town itself. I know someone who interviewed with them when they started up last year and he said they seemed like nice folks. The schedule was 21/21 and the pay was pretty good.
I believe the jobs in that industry are obviously very limited, but it seems like if you had the qualifications already you could find a position somewhere. I imagine hover pilots and engineers are a fairly close-knit community.
Hope that helps.
I was an LCAC OIC at ACU 5 a long time ago when the unit was new. I don’t have any info to help you but just wanted to say hello and welcome you to this forum. It’s been an awesome source of information to me. Good Luck!
I worked with a guy who was a hovercraft captain for Crowley. Kind of seasonal.
This is a typical Alaska scheme to waste a lot of FREE federal money on a totally impractical and super expensive project that only benefits a handful of people.
The first production-model SSC, LCAC 100, is scheduled for delivery by contractor Textron Systems in 2017.
http://www.janes.com/article/56490/us-navy-s-ssc-hovercraft-progresses-through-production
An easy defense from these for our nation’s enemies would be cross manatees with porcupines, or jellyfish with sea urchins. I can see the SciFi channel movies now…
Cool! A hover-tank: just like in RIFTS! The part of me that’s still a little girl playing RPGs is having a joygasm.
I’ve seen (and heard) this lady from time to time. Not verah stealthy…
I've worked with USMC LCAC hovercrafts and agree they aren't very stealthy... they are also loud as hell. On a calm day we could hear them over the horizon.
How can their crews work or eat or sleep? Siyay can wake the dead in every boneyard from the Sunshine coast to Blain, all of Eastern Vancouver Island, and all the islands in the northern Salish Sea on a single transit. This is how a peacekeeping nation does Shock and Awe.