William R. Bertelsen (May 20, 1920 – July 16, 2009) was an American inventor and pioneer in the field of hovercrafts. Bertelsen is best known as the inventor of the Aeromobil, the first hovercraft to transport a person over land and water.[1] In 2002, Bertelsen was named the “Father of the Hovercraft” by the World Hovercraft Federation.[1] William R. Bertelsen married Alberta Menzel on September 21, 1946, in Homewood, Illinois.
He graduated from Rock Island High School in 1938 and studied mechanical engineering for two years at the Indiana Institute of Technology. In addition to his busy career as a physician and inventor, Bertelsen was also a husband and father of four children. It was Bertelsen’s career as a country doctor that led him to develop and experiment with various ACVs. His need to reach patients in rural areas even in inclement weather quickly developed into a lifelong passion for developing alternative transportation. Despite both encouraging and negative responses, Bertelsen developed a series of ACVs and ground-effect vehicles (GEMs), including the Aeromobile 35-1, 35-2, 72, 200-1, 200-2, and 250-1; the Arcopter GEM-1, GEM-2, and GEM-3; and a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
