The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Red Hook, New York, is a unique living museum of early aviation founded in 1958 by Cole Palen (December 28. 1925 – December 8. 1993), an aviation enthusiast and restorer. James Henry Cole Palen Jr. was born in Pittsburgh, PA but moved soon to a chicken farm in upstate New York with his parents. In 1947 he learned to flay and got his A&E license. When Roosevelt Field closed in 1951, plans were put up to sale. Cole Palen bid his life savings of around $1,500 and became an Aeromarine 39B, Avro 504K, Curtiss Jenny, Sopwith Snipe, SPAD XIII and a Standard J-I.

Over the decades, the Aerodrome has become internationally known for preserving and operating rare airplanes form the Pioneer Era, World War 1, and the interwar „Golden Age“ of aviation. Unlike most museums where artifacts remain static, the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome brings history to life by maintaining its aircraft in flying condition and presenting them in regular airshows.