Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome — Attraction in Town of Red Hook

I used to visit Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome back in the early 2000s, and I loved it. I must have visited at least 10 times. But over time I noticed they wouldn't fly as many aircraft, the shows wouldn't be quite as enthusiastic, etc. It was like little things were being removed more and more over time.

I just visited again this past weekend, after a long hiatus... and I am happy to report that Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is alive and well! We came for the Sunday show and had a ball. It's nice to see that the ORA "melodrama" is still being honored after all these years. I do miss the screaming girl in the bathtub though. :) But the new-to-me mega bomb was quite a surprise.

The bombing of the town was as significant as always. I was afraid that the pyrotechnics would be reduced, but dang those planes kept dropping bombs to great effect! We all loved it so much! While I miss the old outhouse routine with the Baron running in with a lit bomb... the anti-aircraft tuba had me rolling. That was friggin' brilliant and hilarious!

They only had 2 rotary engine aircraft on the field, and one of them (the Sopwith Pup) was unable to fly. But the Fokker D.VIII flew and it was AMAZING. The sound of that aircraft in the sky is worth the price of admission alone. You will not believe the incredible sound unless you experience it for yourself.

The staff at ORA is just incredibly friendly. We finally made it up to the museum hangars at around 5:15pm (they close at 5:30pm), and we were welcomed inside and told to take our time. So very nice! Everyone we spoke to was enthusiastic and willing to help or provide historical information.

The model shop apparently burned down since my last visit and has been replaced by a welcome, modern building with highly appreciated bathrooms in the "basement" (accessible from outside the building). Bathrooms at ORA had always been a bit lacking... but that has been fixed.

I'm happy to report that the rest of ORA appears in tact and thriving. Most of the hangars on the field appear to be in active use and filled with workshops and projects.

The price of a D.25 New Standard bi-plane ride has gone up to $100 per person... but dang if it isn't still worth it! I treated my daughter and myself to a flight and it was AMAZING. After a couple of wing-overs that I'm sure are part of the standard flight, our pilot spotted a lone helium balloon floating at altitude. In the true and relevant spirit of barnstorming, he quickly maneuvered towards it and we understood what was about to happen. The balloon passed just over to the upper wing, and the pilot, not satisfied, took us into another hard wing-over and dive back to the balloon! This time is passed right through the wing wires. Once again, up and into an amazing wing-over and dive back down to the balloon. Direct hit with the prop! We felt like we were right in the middle of the show, doing very similar maneuvers to the classic Delsey Dive. An absolutely unforgettable experience.

If I lived within 30 minutes of ORA, I would volunteer there in a heartbeat... but I am more like 2 hours away... sigh. It is truly a gem that must be protected. If you live anywhere in the Northeast U.S., you need to add ORA to your bucket list. There is nothing...

I am proud to be elderly, but they thought otherwise!as soon as i got there, someone was immediately by my side,trying to help me walk!! He started to insist that he carry me like a baby, all the while talking to me in a baby voice, using simple words, and phrases like "c'mon, let daddy pick you up!" I had never been more creeped out in my life!!! when it came to the point where he was saying "here at the airdrome, we have lots of fun things for pretty girls like you!" i had to start swearing at him, and he started yelling saying i was having A STROKE!!!!!

UPDATE! i came back here, hoping to have a better experience, I CAN ASSURE YOU I DID NOTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As soon as I started walking to the biplane rides, I was approached by a worker! She started telling me that I was TOO ELDERLY in a hushed tone, if she was too embarrassed to be saying that, then maybe she shouldn't be saying it! Also she looked just as old as me, if not older!I have been going to the aerodrome since i was a young women, and i don't see how a new person who BARELY knows the aerodrome can be telling me what to do!! Back in my day, we would never have kept people from fun just because of their age! In Conclusion, NEVER GO HERE!!! NEVER GO TO THIS...

Great time at a beautiful location.

The grass runway was lined with old aircraft. Plaques offering the history of each plane. Old cars on display, again with their history on a plaque.

Vintage airplanes flying overhead, vintage cars driving around, and the staff wearing vintage clothing - brings you back to the early 1900's!

The 2pm air show was exciting, entertaining and well worth the ticket price. The open cockpit biplane ride over the Hudson was the absolute pinnacle!

The indoor museum was pretty awesome too. It offered close up views of very old planes, such as a full size reproduction of the Wright Bros plane.

There is a concessions stand with food and ice cream, but I had brought my own picnic lunch to snack on while watching the airshow. And of course, they have a gift shop. The prices at the gift shop seemed very reasonable as far as gift shops go.

It's not required, but I'd recommend dressing up in vintage clothes for the full experience. We did and...