Rhinebeck Museum trouble

[StephenLawson]

Greetings all: Just a bit of input here. If in fact there are $ missing from a project that had to do in any way with NASM it becomes a Fedral concern. The FBI will or should be knocking at someone's door.

[visaliaaviation]

Dear forumites

It would seem that I didn't report my understanding of matters correctly. The monies forwarded to OR were reported to be from the state of New York and not the NASM. OR has publicly announced that said funds were specifically for their NYP project. We have heard reports that said monies were not evidenltly being spent directly on the project. Hence my comment to "follow the money". Rush is not always right, EXCEPT for this one!
FBI or state investigators, somebdy should be checking paper trails.

[baldeagle]

* * I want to thank everybody for responding so much to this thread, and thank our webmaster for providing this avenue of discussion, it's genuinely accomplishing something good in our world of WW1 aviation. *The earliest memory I have is of watching Cole's Nieuport 28 (now at NASM) running up its engine, two or three guys on each wingtip holding on, and the great sound of the Gnome. *I would've been about 4 or 5, around 1967. *My uncle lived only a few hundred yards from there, and sometimes at night my brother and cousins and I would sneak down and sit in the Fokker D.VII or SPAD, pretending to be Gabriel or Rickenbacker. *I was too young to remember, but my cousins have told me that my first airplane ride was with Cole, in the Kinner Bird that he used at the time for rides (The Cheyenne County Bird, now in the static museum up on the hill), apparently we used to hang around until he was finished with paying rides, and then beg for a freebie. *What a fantastic place to grow up. *In those days we would often have a dozen or more people around the dinner table at my Uncle's on Sunday night after the show. *At the end of the year banquet we'd have a rip roaring time, with "awards" for screwing up during the season (I won a few), and speeches, and often Doug Campbell and George Vaughn and Ken Porter would be there and tell stories.
* * You can see where the recent developements have bothered me, and it's good to see some light being shed. *I think another key to getting to the bottom of this is to get the proper media outlets interested and involved. *If anybody out there knows any magazine editors, direct them to this thread, and tell them to start digging. *I know that many are not news oriented, the EAA mags and OTF, but the more people who know about it the better, and magazines like Atlantic Flyer, Private Pilot, and the like might see the story as newsworthy (maybe Flight Journal). *How about Aeroplane and Flypast in the UK, anybody know anybody there? *Or any other suitable magazines or internet outlets, spread the word.
* * Get the truth out there, it will speak for itself.

[wolfenbill]

Many months ago Roger Freeman mentioned that there were problems at Old Rhinebeck but he was never specific and I didn't press the issue. This is very upsetting though I do know that throwing this out into the public domain can only help. I live in Texas and I am far away from Old Rhinebeck, but geographically only. I've only been there on two occasions, once when Cole was alive, back in 1979 and again in the mid 90's, after he had passed away. What a place, and you guys who lived nearby have my envy. I seriously considered quitting a job and moving up there just so I could be nearby to be a volunteer. I never did, but it was instrumental in me getting deeply involved in the establishment of a similar style aerodrome near Kingsbury, Texas. But we're doing it with the idea that Old Rhinebeck is the gold standard. With a 40+ year head start, how could it be otherwise? And it has a quaint charm that we could never duplicate in Texas. Such a valuable place deserves our whole-hearted support. I look forward to the next time I return and I pray that by then, the spirit of Cole and the old flyers prevail

[Lufbery]

I think another key to getting to the bottom of this is to get the proper media outlets interested and involved. If anybody out there knows any magazine editors, direct them to this thread, and tell them to start digging. I know that many are not news oriented, the EAA mags and OTF, but the more people who know about it the better, and magazines like Atlantic Flyer, Private Pilot, and the like might see the story as newsworthy (maybe Flight Journal). How about Aeroplane and Flypast in the UK, anybody know anybody there? Or any other suitable magazines or internet outlets, spread the word.
Get the truth out there, it will speak for itself.

Bald Eagle,

Drop a note to Barrett Tillman (on this board). He may be willing to help.

Regards,

-Drew

When I moved to Rhinebeck in 1997 it was to live with Ken Cassens at the Aerodrome. He had just recently been appointed winter caretaker and had received permission from the Board to live on the property. I had a Private Pilot's license, but knew little or nothing about WWI history or airplanes. Little by little I was sucked into Aerodrome life, starting out loading passengers into the New Standard rides plane for Ken & Dick King who shared the flying responsibilities. Later on I worked in the Museum gift shop, continuing through the 2003 season. That had its up & downs, but for the most part I liked my job and the wonderful aviation enthusiasts it enabled me to meet. Now that Ken has been dismissed (for no given reason, either verbal or written) all that has come to an end. Ken is the most honorable man I ever met, not to mention being a great pilot and mechanic. His work on the Spirit of St. Louis project is exemplary. The heartbreak is that the project is only a few months away from being finished. They ran up the engine back in September and it performed very well. It's a shame that if it is finished, he may never see it fly, unless it's as a paying customer instead of as its pilot. The morale of many volunteers and employees has been going down hill for quite sometime, but this has to be the low point for all of us.
I encourage all who visit this forum to make use of Todd Holt's address and let the Attorney General's Office know that what's happening at Rhinebeck needs looking into.

I have always enjoyed my visits to Rhinebeck with my grandsons..great fun to hang around with a bunch of men who enjoy what they are doing, also the best role models for the next generation coming along.

Laugh! i enjoy being with you guys too!

Play nice or go get 'em!

[Whosaidrats]

Heard that yet another board member has resigned up there. What is the story??

[Whosaidrats]

And this was forwarded to me today:

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/today/l...o111903s3.shtml

AN article in the Poughkeepsie Journal today. They're making changes to be in line with homeland security?? Is that a joke?

''We are undergoing several changes outlined in the new homeland security measures,'' Daly said. ''It's all in line with law enforcement. We wouldn't want our field to be responsible for anything that affects everyone else.''

Lots of terrorists out there looking for a Sopwith Camel...
And "diversify" the "funding stream"?



"Now, the aerodrome is looking into ways to diversify its funding streams and become less reliant on its popular, but weather-reliant, air shows.

Terry McClinch, a member of the Aerodrome's board of directors, said the museum plans to draft a new master plan within the next 18 months. Likely changes include expanding internship opportunities, community programs and educational co-ops with local colleges. Other factors also are contributing to the change in climate at the aerodrome. "

That'll bring in a lot of funds, won't it (dripping with sarcasm)?

THese guys are good. With bull-dookie.

[baldeagle]

I've been getting a lot of e-mails about this, and one of the suggestions was that everybody should also write to the NY State Dep't of Education, who apparently oversee the non-profit charter of the Aerodrome. The contact is:

Mr. David W. Palmquist, Head of Chartering Program
Dep't of Education
Cultural Education Center, Room 3090
Albany, NY 12230

Phone: 518-473-3131