Cole Palen | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 28, 1925 |
| Died | December 8, 1993 (aged 67) |
| Occupation(s) | pilot, aircraft preservationist, founder of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome aviation museum in upstate New York |
| Website | ColePalen.com at the Wayback Machine (archived July 21, 2011), Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome: Meet Cole Palen at the Wayback Machine (archived June 24, 2016) |
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. He became recognized for his work in the preservation of early aviation history. Palen's aerodrome boasts one of the finest collections of antique aircraft in the world including an original 1909 Bleriot XI (civil registration N60094), the oldest flying aircraft in the United States and the second oldest in the world. He also created many accurate flying replicas of historical aircraft. Many of these take part in the regular airshows which continue to place at the Aerodrome.[1]