rm | Old Rhinebeck Aerodome

It's the Old Rhinebeck Aerodome!

One of many planes we thought was just on display, but was later used in the airshow.

Plane internals close-up.

Patty posing in a little fake plane thing that we thought was hilarious. This moment started with "don't get poison ivy!" as the thing was just on the ground.

I _love_ propaganda posters, even when I don't really understand them. Er, Britons Wants You, apparently.

The airshow itself suffered from mind-bogglingly clumsy narrative about the Black Baron of Rhinebeck, a kidnapping, and an oompah band. See: ooompah band!

More propaganda posters! Blot It Out!

The various museum areas of the place are super crowded with stuff that really needs further restoration. While not the most interesting stuff, it was frequently the stuff that hit me most emotionally. Here: old cars.

This was the museum area with the most planes. It was the first one we walked into, and it's a breathtaking moment. There's no one else there, there are no guards, it's just this hangar, filled with planes.... waiting.

Patty took this one. This is of the biplane I flew in (from 1929) taking off. Yes, I flew in a fucking open-cockpit biplane, which was oddly both more and less terrifying than any other sort of plane I've ever been in.. Certainly mad props to the men who fought in these things. You can't see shit straight in front of you, you can't hear anything (including your own thoughts), the wind is extremely rough and intense on the face, and it's a fucking miracle most of these planes didn't disintegrate in flight. It was also crazy peaceful and seemed like all instincts. There's no illusion, I don't think, piloting one of these things, that your life is between you and your wits and you and your luck up there. It was cool as fucking shit.

marchek will surface eventually with photos from the flight, including us in funny flight goggles.

Did I mention that much of the airshow was totally inexplicable? Even less explicable was the historic fashion show before the airshow started. Female audience volunteers put on "historic costumes" which were a combination of bad theater costumes and prom dresses from the 1970s and then modeled them on stage while inaccurate historical announcements were made. Here, Patty is awesome.

Motorbike shot under a wing in the museum.

This is an old car. There is a fake penguin in it. It is wearing a flying cap and goggles. I do not understand why.

Look at this itty-bitty children's toy airplane! It almost made me cry.

This is the oldest plane flying in America today. It's from 1909.

Plane taking off (I'm not sure what this one is, I'm going to have to go back through other shots I've not posted and nail down the facts on everything).

Another plane, way up high. Love me, love my zoom lens.

This photo! This photo! There is a whole story in this photo. It's the man in the foreground's body language. Also check out that fine bit of steampunk insanity of a plane.