A couple of pics from the Rheinbeck Aerodrome

[Joe_D]

Yesterday, I went the the Rheinbeck Areodrome.

Every sept, the "Mid Hudson RC" club holds its anual WWI and

[beaky]

Terrific, but where are the in-flight shots of the models?



I got wind of this "controversy" regarding ORA when I was talking to the guys at the Golden Age Museum out in Bethel recently... as far as I (and they) are concerned, they can start getting back on track by putting the Jenny back in the air...  Cole would never stand for that.

[Joe_D]

I tried to gett a few flight shots of the models but they turned out like crap. They just look looked like little specs with my camera.

I agrree about the Jenny and was dismayed that it is no longer flight worthy due to engine problems.

Neither is the Bleriot due to a badly running engine that needs a rebuild. They only used to fly it the lenght of the air strip a couple of feet off the ground but, still....

Cole use to say, "It 'ill fly" when asked about newly aquired restoration projects.
The present board of directors needs to capture that spirit somehow.

[Hagar]

That first shot brings back some happy memories.

[C]

Nice shots. Somewhere else on the list of places to visit...

BTW, since Cole Palen's death, the current Aerodrome managnment/board of directors has receive some critsizism about how things are run and the state of disrepair of some of the aircraft that are no longer airworthy. Some long time supporters and pilots have ended their support for the Aerodrome as a result.

Yesterday it was announced publicly that the current magement is now dedicated to to returning the Aerodrome to its former glory as it was under Cole Palen's leadership.
Let's hope that they are serious about this!

As with any collection like this, these things will happen wherever they are. Similar things have happened to Old Rheinbeck's closest European equivalent over the past 10 years, but operating old aircraft is always a matter of compromise and shrewd management...

[beaky]

I had heard the Jenny would be grounded because it's "too rare"... while it is the only Hisso-powered Jenny flying, old Cole would have a fit.
But maybe that's only a rumor, if they're having trouble with it...
But I'm puzzled: last time I was there, they were buiding a Ryan "St. Louis" replica that may never fly legally because it has no windshield (it's beautifully authentic, down to the last detail), and yet they can't keep the Jenny flying.

[Joe_D]

About the jenny:
They did start the jenny's engine and it ran like crap. So, it at least has some engine problems.

Yes, I can't understand what will be the final outcome of the Ryan replica and if it will ever fly etc.
However, they are slowly making progress on it and are activly soliciting donations for the project.
I got some pics of it and will post them in a new thread soon. It truly is museum quality right down to the last detail!

I was also lucky to have been there back in 1980 and meet cole!