For those contemplating attending the Rhinemog event in June, further below
is an article of interest which appeared recently in the newspaper. If you
missed Jim Nichol's original postings on the event, the info is on a link at
the Events Page of my web site.
To aviation buffs, names like Oshkosh, the Confederate Air Force, Rhinebeck,
& the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - gets the pulse pounding.
Personally, I like the events that combine antique cars with antique
aircraft. Rick Feibush posted that the "British Wheels & Wings" event in
California is cancelled. While I'm not likely to attend the Rhinemog event,
I feel like I've been there from watching the Beer family video a few years
back. There's another "British Wheels & Wings" event which may be of
interest.
The British Sportscar Club's "Wheels & Wings"
event to be held May 16/99 at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum,
Hamilton Airport, in Mount Hope, Ontaro, Canada. It runs from 10 AM to 3PM.
The Museum has a large collection of warbirds, including one of the only 2
remaining Lancaster bombers in flying condition. You can see more about the
CWH Museum at their web site: http://www.warplane.com/hub.html
The organizers would like to see more than the 3 or 4 Mogs from last year,
given the special anniversary year & all! If any out of towners are
considering coming, let me know & perhaps we can hook-up.
Entry is $10 per vehicle. For more info call Paul Boydell at 905-318-5810.
Emailers might want to try Scott Morris, Editor of "The Tribute" at
jstmorris@yahoo.com or Don Pettitt, BSC Events Coordinator at
weazal@execulink.com
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THE TORONTO STAR Saturday, April 10, 1999
Presenting the greatest show off Earth
Barnstorming biplanes part of the flying circus run by New York aerodrome
BY NAEDINE JOY HAZELL
SPECIALTO THE STAR
RHINEBECK, NY. - It
looks like an old cornfield or a pasture. The grass is worn and rutted.
But this unassuming little field in the New York hills east of the Hudson
River has an im-pressive job. It's a launch pad to the past, a part of a
living museum devoted to keeping alive the years of early aviation.
Barnstorming biplanes toy with one another high above the field as hundreds
of fasci-nated spectators stare sky-ward.
"There's still something magical about these old planes ... and that's a
magic we like to share here at the Rhinebeck Aerodrome," an announcer
shouts over the roar of rotary engines as the planes loop and dive and dip.
The aerodrome's weekend summer and autumn air shows are among the last of
the flying circuses. And a circus atmosphere prevails, with cotton candy,
snow cones, popcorn and picnic lunches.
If you want a latte or a glass of wine, you can always go t6 downtown
Rhinebeck, which is as pretty a Hudson River vil-lage as you'll find.
Otherwise, at the airfield and. museum, it's like a country fair every
weekend. Spectators sit on plank benches supported by cinder blocks, eat at
peeling picnic tables and use portable toilets.
Amenities are not the focus. The aircraft and the air show are.
Even the most jaded and cyn-ical gasp with surprise and delight when a pair
of barnstorm-ing biplanes roar past the crowd, just a couple of metres above
the grass runway. The wind carries the smell of burnt castor oil as the
pilots whoosh by, long white scarves billowing behind them from the open
cockpits.
It's the greatest show off Earth.
For the true old-plane buff, it might be important to know that the Saturday
shows focus on the early history of flight with pioneer, World War I and
Lindbergh-era aircraft and Sundays feature World War I and barnstorming
planes.
Visitors see early aircraft from the fragile canvas and wood-strut airplanes
created by the Wright Brothers to open-cockpit planes used in World War I
dogfights and tri-ple-wing planes usually only seen in air museums.
The museum and aerodrome are open during the week but the air shows are held
only weekends.
A reproduction D-7 Fokker - built from the original plans and equipped with
an original engine-climbs into the sky as the announcer waxes poetic about
the aerodrome's mission to keep the past alive.
"There are a few private col-lectors with these and a few at museums in
England, but you won't hear engines like that anywhere but here," he boasts.
The Fokker was a German plane that battled with Britain's Sopwith Camels and
other planes during some of World War I's most famous air battles. The
Aerodrome museum maintains one of the largest collections of early planes
and aviation-related equipment in the world. It is the culmination of one
man's dream.
Cole Palen bought six World War I airplanes from Roosevelt Field on Long
Island in 1951 and began restoring them. Sev-en years later he bought an
abandoned farm in Rhinebeck and that was the start of some-thing big. Soon,
Palen wasn't the only, one flying vintage aircraft off the grass runway.
Friends and other enthusiasts came. Then came the curious.
In 1960, the formal air shows began and grew in popularity and eventually
drew the atten-tion of National Geographic magazine, which published a story
about the shows in its Oc-tober 1977 issue. It's been high--flying since
then.
“Yessiree, ladies and gentlemen, we here at Rhinebeck of-fer one of the last
of the flying circuses..."
Besides the grounds and the planes, the circus atmosphere is helped by old
automobiles and related vehicles and actors in period dress. If the
announc-er tries the old there's-an-es-caped-convict-on-the-loose gambit,
just go along with it -it's kind of hokey but it's fun.
If you want to experience the thrill of flying, the aerodrome offers
15-minute open-cockpit biplane rides in its 1929 New Standard D-25, before
and af-ter the Saturday and Sunday shows. But sign up as soon as you arrive,
because despite the $30 U.S. price tag, the rides book quickly.
If you prefer a closer but less death-defying look, visit the vintage
aircraft housed safely in corrugated steel hangars and barns not far from
the airfield.
The collection has dozens of planes including a 1931 Great Lakes Trainer, a
1902 Wright Brothers Glider, a 1913 Cau-dron G3 reproduction that was
featured in the First Flights TV documentary hosted by Neil Armstrong, and
an original 1936 Aeronca C3, one of the first aircraft to provide
inex-pensive flying for anyone who wanted to try.
When the air show is over, spectators can head into the vil-lage of
Rhinebeck for a meal or a walk around the historic dis-trict.
With 437 sites listed on the National Historic Register, Rhi-nebeck has one
of the largest U.S. historic districts. It in-cludes the country's oldest
inn, the Beekman Arms.
- Hartford Courant
Fred Kuzyk
MSCCC Webmaster
Visit the Morgan Sports Car Club of Canada Web site at:
http://members.xoom.com/msccc/
For info on cigars, local cigar clubs & events, etc; visit my other web site
Holy Smokes
http://members.xoom.com/holysmokes/
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