RHINEBECK, N.Y.: Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome will host the 9th Annual Cole and Rita Palen Memorial Free-Flight Meet on Saturday, July 27. Rubber-powered models of all types of aircraft will be flown in memory of Cole and Rita Palen, and the members of the first generation of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome who are no longer with us.
The models will be flown starting at 7 a.m. and flying will conclude at 11 a.m. when the Aerodrome’s rides plane commences operations for the day.
The meet is a very loose competition where participants will time their own flights and record their flight times on a score sheet. The score sheets are collected and pilots with the longest flight times are deemed the winners in their respective categories. The honor system is heavily relied upon for the competition.
There are several categories, including Pioneer Era, World War I, Golden Age and the mixed category and any type of model entered will fit into at least one of the above events.
There will also be mass launch events on the hours starting at 8 a.m. There will be another mass launch of the models at 2 pm just preceding the full-scale air show.
The primary goal of the event is to have fun with aero-modeling while remembering Cole and Rita Palen.
For more information: OldRhinebeck.org or the Facebook model meet page:
Participants in the free flight meet who arrive in the morning and wish to stay for the full-scale airshow at 2 p.m. will pay the group rate for entry, which is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and teens, and $5 for juniors.
The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is a not-for-profit organization specializing in early aviation. The museum and grounds boast some of the rarest authentic and reproduction aircraft from the early 1900s through the late 1930s. Every weekend between June and October vintage aircraft from the collection take to the skies to perform amazing airshows.Biplane rides are available for $75 per person on a first-come-first-served basis.