Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

[SteveS]

These next two photos are especially for someone. The Bleriot in 1973

[Curtiss Jenny]

Here is a photo of the original Trudy Trulove, Judy Meyers, taking to the air in her Hot-Air Balloon. Judy's daughter Sarah became the first of the "next generation" Tudy Truloves about 16 years after this photo was taken.

[SteveS]

And the Bleriot in the courtyard in 2001.

[Curtiss Jenny]

SteveS, the Bleriot shots are great!

Here is another early group shot I think done by Earl Hall. People on the ground : The man on the motorcycle is Bob Tator, then Todd Scheff (Nicole's Dad), Ed Hammerle, Brian Coughlin, unknown, Bill Gifford, Chris Voight, Gene DeMarco, Maureen McCaan, Jim Hare, Dick King, unknown, Cole Palen, Author Ray Brooks (a real WWI pilot whose plane is in the Smithsonian), unknown, Bill King, Stanley Segalla, John Barker, announcer Mike Fisher, Karl Schneide, Suzanne Hayes, unknown, Parker and Gwen Ackley, Ed Usinowitz(sp?), Carle Kopecke, 2 unknown, and Dave King. On the Plane wings: Jim or Tom Marxz, Dave Gifford, and Karl Erickson.

Remember the Rolls-Royce factory? In went the Rolls-Royce Boat-tail Speedster and after a few minutes of banging and hammering out came the Rolls-Royce Armoured Car. You had to wear earplugs to work in that factory! It only lasted a season, during the winter the winds took the factory down.

The Rolls-Royce arrived as a Bakery Truck. The box part of the truck is up on the hill and became the bedowin tent in "Bagdad". (That act was based on the battles that occured during WWI.) Every act that Cole did had its basis in fact.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Curtiss Jenny Posted: May 9 2004, 08:18 AM

SteveS, the Bleriot shots are great!

Ditto that!

Curtiss Jenny, keep 'em coming too! What super photos, and the names and colorful historic stories add so much!

[SteveS]

Originally posted by Curtiss Jenny@May 9 2004, 11:41 AM
[b]Here is a picture of one of the "next generation" workers and volunteers Nicole Scheff.

My daughter is thrilled to see your picture of Nicole. They had a little conversation going last season while waiting for my daughters first flight in the New Standard. Really great personality thats oh so typical of all the volunteers and workers at Old Rhinebeck.

Thanks!

Salute,
Steve

[Jon18]

Here's Cole's rubber powered Sopwith Triplane in the model museum. (1998)

[rc-notyme]

The C-3 /Walkill shot is of the one and only Mike Spandeau making
his usual grand entrance - tripping/flipping over the flying wires. Check out the raccoon coat and the rubber foot. He did some crazy stuff in that C-3.
Pretty much everything I have is from 50s and 60s. The seeds to ORA were sewn at his parents farm in Red Oaks Mill and at Stormville Airport.
The first flights of the SPAD, Bleriot and Curtiss Pusher took place at Stormville.

If it comes up correctly the next one was taken at Stormville of the engine assembly facility with six highly trained technicians deciding what to do next. L - R, ?, Cole, Tommy O'Brien(?), Pete O'Brien, ? ,not yet Rev.Dr. Don Bodine (he spoke at the last get together) and the Snipe.

the telling of the "big fish story might take as long as the actual act. i'm sure there are some gaps as this is a condensed version.

at some point in the late 80's, the ora ground show took on huge proportions. the fertileness of cole palen's imagination reached new heights with tis scenario.
the announcer was handed a script, that rivaled tolstoy's"war and peace" in lenght and introduced the sunday cast of charactors that paraded by to the village of bar-le duc. it was announed that it was now day time, as the sun, a 4' yellow disc was precariously hoisted up,upon the end of a large pole, complete with pulleys,winches,and lots of innertube gum bands
the black baron and his henchmen quietly await on the side lines
while being in the middle of the action out on the runway, the ground crew can not always hear what the announcer was saying. i presume what was being discussed was the baron and his picaroons were scheming to steal trudy truelove from the honorable sir percy goodfellow


continued.................

the audience is now informed that day has ened and night has begun. the striking of the sun disc and the raising of the plywood moon was a herculean task. all of this happened over the roof top of the hotel de paree.

the stage was set for the mid-nite elopement of tt and sir percy.

a rope ladder was tossed from the 2nd story window and the key charactors scrambled up and down until at one point,the bb is in the 2nd story window,sir percy and tt are in various stages of elopement,percy climbs up to retrive tt's overnight bag and is handed a giant swordfish by the baron.
the not too bright percy can't quite digest his predicament and just gwaks in bewilderment. the baron steals off with dear ole trudy
the baron gets the girl.......percy gets the fish.
moon and sun exchange places, a mad dash by everyone to their required positions and the ribbon cut planes take off and on with the show
each week a variation of this theme was played out,as not everything went according to plan
sadly, the fish slowly dissolved overtime........as did the act