Company
About
History
Evolution
Chairman's Message
Board & Key Staff
The Board
Key Staff
Careers
Current Vacancies
Our Business
United Kingdom
Griffon Hoverwork
Hovertravel
Skybreak
The Beehive
Western Mediterranean
Blands Travel
Calpe Lounge
The Rock Hotel
OSG
Gibair
General Aviation
Travel Link
BG Tec
News & Community
Contact
UK Businesses
Western Mediterranean Businesses
News & Community
Hovertravel
June, 24 2019
Hovercraft history repeated with Airbus engineer John Carter
Last week, John Carter was again involved in a ribbon cutting ceremony at Hovertravel, almost 54 years after he was part of the inaugural Hovertravel flight from Ryde to Stokes Bay, Gosport.
On 4th August 1965, newly employed John was part of the beach crew at Hovertravel’s Stokes Bay operation. His task for the ceremony was to hold one end of a ribbon as the first Hovertravel flight from the Isle of Wight landed to officially open the service. That flight included some high-profile guests including Lord Louis Mountbatten and was welcomed ashore by the mayors of both Gosport and Portsmouth.
Re-enacting the ribbon cutting last weekend John took centre stage this time, cutting the ribbon in front of all the guests of an Airbus private hovercraft charter in aid of the Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association. John, now a design engineer in the space and aviation departments of Airbus, expressed his joy at being at both events: “I took the job at Hovertravel for the summer before going on to start my career at the MOD and it was very exciting for a young boy just out of school to be part of this new and unusual hovercraft service. Now with over five decades of working in the aviation sector I am thrilled to be part of another fun day on the hovercraft, especially as today’s trip is raising money for such a worthy cause.”
Seventy-four Airbus staff and families enjoyed a fun-filled two hours with the hovercraft, including demonstrations of the craft’s unique manoeuvrability at sea and show-and-tell session with the pilot, raising over £1500 for the Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association.-ends-About Portsmouth Down Syndrome AssociationBased at the Sarah Duffen Centre in Belmont Street, this charity is committed to improving the lives of children and their families, in Portsmouth and South Hampshire, by providing friendship, support and an extensive range of educational services from birth.
For more details please visit
here
.
Caption:Airbus design engineer John Carter cuts the ribbon to start the private fundraising charter for the Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association. (front row from left to right: Charles Bruzon from Hovertravel, John Carter from Airbus and Rob Kirk from Airbus and representing the Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association.
View all News & Community
More Stories from Hovertravel
Hovertravel
May, 13 2022
Hovertravel celebrates a successful season of late-night Pompey FC...
For the 2021/22 football season Hovertravel has operated a record number of late night flights with...
Hovertravel
April, 27 2022
Hovertravel recognised for Island Rescue Patient Transfer Service
Hovertravel won a silver award at Tourism South East’s 2021/22...
Hovertravel
March, 31 2022
Hovertravel awarded part of Government’s £1 Million accessibility...
Hovertravel has been awardeda...
Hovertravel
March, 22 2022
Hovertravel partners with Go Taxi to offer e-taxis to customers
Hovertravel has teamed up with Go Taxi to provide easy and simple e-taxi booking for their...
Hovertravel
March, 17 2022
Red noses on hovercraft for Comic Relief
Hovertravel, the world’s onlyyear-round scheduled...
Hovertravel
February, 25 2022
Hovertravel shortlisted in Beautiful South awards
Hovertravel
December, 20 2021
Go greener with deliveries from Hovertravel and Go Delivery
Hovertravel has teamed upwith Go...
Hovertravel
December, 09 2021
Hovertravel is 1000th signatory in the South East to the Armed...
Hovertravel
November, 24 2021
Santas to dash over the Solent with Hovertravel
The Fire Fighters Charity andHovertravel have teamed up...
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
next
Take a look into our evolution
Take a look back in time from 1810
Find out more about our key people