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Ground-Effect Vehicle To Carry Passengers Around Hawaii

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Ground-Effect Vehicle To Carry Passengers Around Hawaii


Although Hawaii used to have a ferry service to access the various islands in the archipelago, due to environmental and political issues, air travel is now the only way to island-hop. Various companies have tried to fill this transportation gap, but have all been stymied for one reason or another. The latest to attempt to solve this problem is a unique one, however. The Hawaii Seaglider Initiative is currently testing a ground-effect vehicle for inter-island passenger service that hopes to use the unique characteristics of this type of aircraft to reduce costs and limit environmental concerns.

The Seaglider, with backing from the Hawaii state government and various corporate interests like Hawaiian Airlines, is actually an amalgamation of three different types of vehicle. It’s capable of operating like a normal, hulled boat at low speeds but has a hydrofoil for operating at higher speeds. Beyond that, its wings give it enough lift to leave the water but stay in ground-effect flight, flying low to the water to reduce drag and improve lift when compared to an aircraft flying out of the ground effect. The efficiency gains from this type of flight are enough that the Seaglider can use electric motors and batteries to make the trips from island to island.

While the ferry is not yet in service, flight testing of the vehicle is scheduled for this year. Ground-effect vehicles of this type do have a large number of obstacles to overcome, whether they’re huge military vehicles like the Ekranoplanes of the Soviet Union or even small remote-controlled crafts, including difficulty with rough seas and having to operate in a harsh salt water environment.

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‘Absolutely shocking’: Scituate community mourns couple killed in Hawaii helicopter crash – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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‘Absolutely shocking’: Scituate community mourns couple killed in Hawaii helicopter crash – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


SCITUATE, MASS. (WHDH) – The Scitutate community is fondly remembering a couple killed in a helicopter crash in Hawaii Thursday during a post-retirement trip.

Patrick “P.J.” Haskell, 59, and his wife Margaret Rimmler, 65, lived in a Scituate neighborhood near the ocean. They took a trip to Hawaii last week after Haskell permanently retired from the insurance business he ran with his father for decades.

“We figured Massachusetts was close enough for us, and then when we hear it was our next door neighbor – it was shocking. Absolutely shocking,” said Steve Osborne, a neighbor.

Neighbors said Rimmler worked in the tech marketing field for years, and Haskell had big plans for retirement involving his garden and bee hives.

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“He loved his gardening, and he had an overabundance of vegetables in the summertime,” said Mary Talbot, a neighbor.

“I had just spoken to him last week, and he had checked the bees and they all made it through the winter,” Osborne said.

On Thursday afternoon, the sightseeing helicopter the couple was flying in crashed near a remote beach off the coast of Kauai, killing them and one other person. Experts say the area’s geography of tall seaside cliffs and sharp mountain ridges can make for turbulant air and hazardous flying conditions.

In a memorial posting, Haskell Insurance Agency wrote, “Patrick recently retired and along with Margaret, deserved many more years together…Patrick’s kindness and selfless nature impacted all who knew him. He extended respect and compassion to everyone he encountered.”

Neighbors said the couple will be sorely missed.

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“They were just the nicest people, the nicest people,” said Osborne. “Every time I look out over there it’s just so sad.”

Federal authorities are investigating the cause of the helicopter crash.

(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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BIIF track: Stars reach personal-best marks, break venue records at Kamehameha – West Hawaii Today

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BIIF track: Stars reach personal-best marks, break venue records at Kamehameha – West Hawaii Today






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Free mobile clinic treating storm-related injuries to relocate

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Free mobile clinic treating storm-related injuries to relocate


WAIALUA (HawaiiNewsNow) – The free mobile medical clinic serving North Shore residents is relocating.

Starting Monday, March 30, the free mobile clinic, operated in partnership with the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine and its Hawaii H.O.M.E. Project, will begin operating at Waialua District Park.

The clinic will continue offering free medical assessments and treatment Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians from Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, along with a nurse from the Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement program, will work alongside doctors and medical students from the H.O.M.E. Project.

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Officials said the clinic has treated nearly 100 individuals for illnesses and injuries related to the recent Kona low storms.



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