Cole Palen
| Cole Palen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 28, 1925 Pennsylvania |
| Died | December 8, 1993 (aged 67) Florida |
| Occupation | pilot, aircraft preservationist, founder of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome aviation museum in upstate New York |
| Website | http://www.colepalen.com, http://oldrhinebeck.org/ORA/meet-cole-palen/ |
Cole Palen (December 28, 1925 – December 8, 1993) was the founder of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, a "living" museum of vintage aircraft from 1900-1937 located in Red Hook, New York. Palen's aerodrome boasts one of the finest collections of antique aircraft in the world, including an original Bleriot XI (civil registration N60094), the oldest flying aircraft in the United States and the second oldest in the world.
James Henry "Cole" Palen Jr. grew up in upstate New York outside the town of Poughkeepsie. As a child, he developed an early fascination with aviation and delighted in building free-flight model airplanes. In later life, he was recognized for his work in the preservation of early aviation history.
After graduating from high school in 1944, Palen joined the United States Army just in time for the Battle of the Bulge. On returning to the United States, he enrolled in the Roosevelt Aviation School at Roosevelt Field, Long Island, to train as a mechanic. Here he was thrilled to find that one of the hangars contained a small museum of World War I aircraft. He dreamed of one day owning his own unique airfield and flying the early aircraft as he felt they should be flown.
In 1951, Roosevelt Field closed and plans were laid for a vast shopping center to be built on the site. Accordingly the World War I aircraft were put up for sale. The Smithsonian had already acquired three of the aircraft so Cole quickly bid his life savings for the remainder. Soon thereafter he found himself the proud owner of a SPAD XIII, Avro 504K, Curtiss Jenny, Standard J-l, Aeromarine 39B and Sopwith Snipe. He was given just thirty days to remove the aircraft from Roosevelt Field, which required nine 200-mile round trips to the family home where they were stored in abandoned chicken coops.
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