Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

[Aerodrome Kid]

Aw, that one of you sitting on the Jenny is super sweet!! Lucky kid you were to have that for a playground growing up!

I would often go in early with dad on the weekends. While the crew was pulling out aircraft he would set me up on a lower wing next to a strut while he drove the tug or steered the dolly.

It was definitely the coolest being a kid on that airport.

[curtisswright]

Aerodromekid. Thank you for sharing those wonderful pix. Super!!!! And thanks to everyone else! They are simply awesome.

AAC Cadet - This particular Pitcairn Mail Wing was not used for the mail service. It was constructed by an enterprising mechanic from parts that he purchased that were left in the closed factory. This type of airplane was in fact used in the early air mail under the company name of Pitcairn. Pitcairn was one of several small air mail operators that merged and eventually became Eastern Airlines. This particular airplane was used in an Eastern Airlines Television Ad filmed in the early 80's. I flew the airplane into Atlanta International Airport with no radio just a phone call from a local 7 - 11 on the east side of Atlanta. As a side note the man that took me to the 7 - 11 was an elderly Mr. Gordon Bella, whom I later found out, was Doug Davis' mechanic during the racing heydays of the 20's and 30's. Pitcairn's airmail route extended from Atlanta up the eastern seaboard. Stone Mountain lies northeast of Atlanta. Story is that one of the Pitcairn's flying in the clouds ground to a stop on top of Stone Mnt. with no injuries to the pilot but the airplane was destroyed. Cole purchased this plane in the late 70's from someone in the northwest and flew it to Rhinebeck following Interstate 80. Sorry for the long post, just ramblin' on.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Bill Hammond,
Don't apologize for rambling. I'm sure I speak for others as well that the history you share is very interesting and appreciated! Please continue to narrate whenever you can.

[Curtiss Jenny]

Remeber the ribbon pickup act? This is how it was done in 1982.

[Curtiss Jenny]

Here is a group shot photo from about 1992 from a friend's collection. We believe it was taken by Earl Hall. Sorry we don't know all the names.
On the ground: Chris Curran, Tara Sherman, Tom(?) Marks, John Barker, Shannon Rabbett.
Second row: Ed Usinowitz(sp?), Maureen McCaan, Cole Palen, Lynn Ann, Parker and Gwen Ackley, unknown, Charlie Gablehouse.
Third row: Bill King, Brian Coughlin, Warren Disbrow, Ken Cassens, Jim Hare, Gene DeMarco, Dave King, Karl Erickson, Bill or Dave(?) Gifford, Todd Scheff, Bob Tator, Dick King, and Larry Potter.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

The photos of the ORA folks are just as interesting as the ORA aeroplanes! The happy atmosphere really comes through on the faces and it looks like everybody got along well in those days. I'm optomistic that will happen again in the future there.

Nice to see one of Cole in his later years as well. Thank you Curtiss Jenny!

[Curtiss Jenny]

Here is another group photo from the early to middle 1990's.

Let me see if i'm smarter then this computer.

Heater's landing

nkh

heater again