There are a few places in our country that we aviators MUST consider as hallowed ground. Oshkosh and Kitty Hawk are two that come to mind. But I believe that the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (ORA) in Rhinebeck, NY ought to be in that class.
ORA keeps one of - if not the - finest collection of old biplanes in the world. Yes, there are many old biplanes on display in other "museums", but at Old Rhinebeck, these museum pieces FLY. And I don't mean once around the patch once a year just to say they fly 'em either. No, this is a real aerodrome, and from June 17 through October 15, 2006, on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 2:00 PM, you can see the most awesome sight that any pilot can imagine.
Aircraft Preservationist and ORA founder Cole Palen collected aircraft spanning from the period of the birth of aviation up to the start of World War II, restoring them and flying them regularly. He passed away in 1993, but those who knew Cole said he never could stand to see a parked airplane. He presented his first air show at ORA in 1960 to an audience of 25 people on a farm he purchased near the picturesque village of Rhinebeck.
Do yourself and any small children you now a favor and plan a trip to ORA. I am not affiliated with them, and this is not a paid commercial...just one pilot passing along a tip. My late buddy Lee Hansen took me up on this and visited Rhinebeck a few years ago, and never stopped talking about the place.
Old biplanes...radial engines...want are you WAITING for? Their contact info is at the end of this post, and here is a great Quicktime movie showing some of what you'll see at ORA. The list of airplanes in their ever-changing collection is mind-blowing:
Wow, that is one impressive list. Did you see the model years of these vintage airplanes? They do not get any better than this. And as we all know, nothing is forever. I'm sure ORA will be around for years to come, and now that I have future grandkids on the way, they MUST attend with their Poo-pah, Doo-Dah, Dad-doo, or whatever other grandpa name they come up with for me.
So make plans now to go there this summer, and re-live something wonderful. It is a day you will never forget.
Author Resource:-
Author and private pilot Dan Pimentel edits an aviation information directory calledAviatorWire and also owns acreative agency in Oregon.
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