Latest news with #hovercraft
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Hovertravel awarded red plaque for 60 year transport service
The world's longest running commercial hovercraft operator has been recognised for its importance in the history of transport in the UK. Hovertravel, which runs ferries from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight, has been given two Red Wheel plaques by National Transport Trust at its Southsea and Ryde Red Wheel scheme has been given to the service to commemorate the work it has done to connect communities across the Solent since intended as a seasonal tourist attraction, it evolved into a vital year-round link between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. Loretta Lale, head of marketing at Hovertravel, said: "We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition from the National Transport Trust. "For 60 years, Hovertravel has been more than just a mode of transport; it has been a lifeline for communities, a draw for tourists, and a symbol of British innovation. "These Red Wheel plaques are a testament to the dedication of our team and the enduring support of our passengers."Stuart Wilkinson, Chair of the National Transport Trust said the Solent's hovercraft were "brilliant examples of a transport solution".He said the trust hoped it would inspire young people to consider a career in transport and engineering."Maybe there is a young person out there whose idea will become as important in the future as these hovercraft routes are today," he said. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
New details released of proposed hovercraft service between downtown Toronto and Niagara Region
A rendering of a hovercraft that an Ontario company says can travel from Toronto to Niagara Region in 30 minutes is seen here. (Hoverlink Ontario Inc.) New details are emerging about a proposed hovercraft service that aims to transport tourists and commuters alike across Lake Ontario between Toronto and Niagara Region in just 30 minutes. At an event at the Toronto Region Board of Trade on Wednesday, officials with Hoverlink Ontario explained how the service, which recently cleared a significant hurdle, will alleviate congestion along one of province's busiest highways and make it more attractive for people to travel to two of Ontario's largest tourist destinations. Last month, officials confirmed that a 30-year agreement had been signed with Ports Toronto, bringing the service one step closer to reality. Chris Morgan, the founder and CEO of Hoverlink, called the development 'the beginning of a new era of rapid transit.' 'This is not just a rapid transportation project. It is an economic development catalyst, a tourism accelerator,' he said. How will the service work? Passengers will travel by hovercraft between Billy Bishop Airport and a facility that will be built at Port Weller, St. Catharines. The total trip time is estimated to be 30 minutes. The amphibious vehicle is designed to travel over land, water, ice, and other surfaces. Blowers produce a large volume of air below the hull of the vessel to create an air cushion, allowing it to float 1.8 metres above the surface. Additional fans and propellers move the craft forward. Hovercrafts are currently used by the Canadian Coast Guard for rescue and icebreaking missions. Officials say that while the vessels have been used for decades to transport people in the United Kingdom, a similar passenger service does not yet exist in North America. 'We intend to make it a way of life here on Lake Ontario,' Erika Potrz, the president of Hoverlink Ontario, told CTV News on Wednesday. Who is the target market for the service? The company says both tourists and commuters will benefit from the Hoverlink. 'Hoverlink would allow Torontonians to quickly visit the wineries and the beautiful hinterland of Niagara-on-the-Lake, or unleash new possibilities for regional tourism, employment, and housing between Toronto and St. Catharines,' Morgan said. Operating at full capacity, the company says Hoverlink would result in 8,000 fewer cars on the QEW each day. When will the hovercraft service launch? No official timeline has been announced for the launch of service but Potrz said Hoverlink has done everything it can to facilitate getting the service up and running as soon as possible. How many passengers can the hovercraft hold? The craft can hold 180 passengers plus crew. How frequently will it run? The company says it is capable of making 48 trips daily and will operate 365 days a year. How much will it cost to ride the hovercraft? Ticket pricing has not been released but the company says it will be 'comparable to other existing ground public transit option fares in the region.' How will I get to my destination after I arrive at the Hoverlink terminal in St. Catharines? Potrz said Hoverlink will operate its own shuttle buses in St. Catharines with limited stops. It will take passengers to the Fallsview Hilton, downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort George, and Niagara College. 'We will invite some of our key partners to have their shuttle buses come and pick up folks,' she added. 'We are looking at how do we package up tickets with entities in Niagara Region, as well as in Toronto, to encourage and ensure that all of our businesses win.' Has this been tried before? There have been two previous attempts to connect Toronto to other regions via Lake Ontario, including a short-lived ferry service to Rochester, N.Y. and a previous project that used hydrofoils. 'People often say, 'This has tried before and it's failed,'' Potrz said. 'Failure predicates success.' She said the previous two attempts were 'marred with issues,' adding that there has 'never been anything like' the Hoverlink service on Lake Ontario before. 'They (previous projects) were marred with issues because the craft competency was not available. They were hydrofoils. Hydrofoils cross Lake Ontario maybe six months of the year, create a really uncomfortable experience for consumers, and they really are not competent to craft in all weather types,' she said. 'There was a ferry to Rochester, and that was predicated on cargo movement, very different than a commuter and tourism strategy. We have 40 million tourists between Niagara Region and Toronto. What a better market to launch a marine transit service into with a craft that is military grade.' Potrz said the company wants to make transportation 'fun again.' 'Somebody's coming in to see a concert at Live Nation, we are going to have a DJ on board. We are going to make this fun,' she said. 'There is going to be an experiential portion to what we do everyday to make sure people want to ride on the hovercraft.'
CBC
27-05-2025
- Science
- CBC
Labrador City fire department adds hovercraft to firefighting arsenal
When you hear the word 'hovercraft,' you might think of a futuristic vehicle that can travel by land and sea, but in the real world it can be a lifesaving search and rescue tool. As the CBC's Darryl Dinn explains, firefighters in Labrador City are already using one.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why the Isle of Wight needs a hovercraft emoji right now!
In this whirlwind of digital communication we navigate, the emoji has become a potent tool. A well-placed smiley face can soften a terse message, a thumbs-up can convey swift agreement, and a string of party poppers can share joyous news without typing a word. From hieroglyphs to pixels, we've always sought succinct expression. Yet, for us Islanders, there's a glaring omission in this colourful lexicon, a void frankly more noticeable with each Solent crossing. I speak of the majestic, iconic, and utterly indispensable hovercraft. Now, I'm sure the Unicode Consortium, our emoji gatekeepers, are frightfully busy. They're no doubt deliberating over the precise curvature of a new croissant emoji or the exact shade of a contemplative face. We appreciate their diligence. We have emojis for steam trains, for cruise ships, even for a rather futuristic-looking monorail. But no hovercraft. How can this be? Imagine the scene: you're gliding across the water, the Spinnaker Tower shrinking in your wake, a seafort slipping by. You want to share this moment, to send a quick message to a loved one - "Just leaving Southsea, be with you soon!" And then you reach for the emoji keyboard. A ferry? Too pedestrian. A speedboat? Not quite the same gravitas. A rocket? Well, perhaps a slight exaggeration of its speed. The current situation is frustrating. I've found myself resorting to unsatisfactory combinations - perhaps a ship, a gust of wind, and a bird's wing, hoping the recipient deciphers my Solent-specific shorthand. It's hardly ideal. Possible, but you lose something in the translation. Think of the sheer utility! A quick tap of a hovercraft emoji could signify "I'm on my way over," "Meet you at the terminal," or even, with a preceding sad face, "Oh dear, it looks like the hover might be off due to this pesky fog!" The possibilities are endless, and the boost to Island pride immeasurable. Perhaps this seems a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things. But isn't it often the small, everyday things that bring a touch of joy or, in this case, a minor but persistent niggle? We Island dwellers are a practical, innovative bunch. We built the world's first commercial passenger hovercraft service, for goodness sake! Surely, we deserve the digital equivalent to acknowledge this pioneering spirit. So, I put it to you, fellow hovercraft fans, and perhaps even to those mysterious emoji arbiters across the globe: isn't it time the hovercraft took its rightful place amongst the digital icons of our age? It's a small ask, but one that would bring a disproportionate amount of satisfaction to those of us who know and love these remarkable machines. After all, if there's room for a floppy disk emoji (a relic most of Gen Z have never encountered), there's certainly space for a vessel that continues to zip across our waters with such distinctive panache. Let the campaign commence! Now, who knows the email address for the Unicode Consortium?
CBC
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
A hovercraft could take you between Toronto and Niagara in 30 minutes
An Ontario company has signed a deal with Ports Toronto to run a marine hovercraft that will shuttle passengers from Toronto to Niagara in 30 minutes. Erika Portz, president and interim chief operating officer of Hoverlink Ontario Inc., breaks down the company's plans on Metro Morning.
