PRESS RELEASE
Hammond is a familiar name, ringing through the records and stories of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome for well over 40 years. Bill Hammond served as Chief Pilot and Director for many years under Cole Palen. Charlotte Hammond played Trudy Truelove, among other roles and their children, Nate and Clay are both talented pilots with careers in aviation.
Clay Hammond, trustee and Chief Pilot, took his first airplane ride when he was just five weeks old on his mom’s lap in the family J-3 Cub, flying out of Old Rhinebeck. Clay grew up at ORA while his parents worked for Cole Palen: Bill as Chief Pilot and Mechanic and Charlotte as Trudy Truelove and more. He began flying vintage aircraft at an early age.
A professional pilot and aviation salesman by trade, he has specialized in aircraft sales, ferry and delivery of aircraft new and old. He once delivered a YMF-5 WACO from Los Angeles to Atlanta in only two days, just to see what it was like to fly a Bendix Race.
He says: “Cole Palen had a natural ability to empower others to do great things. His enthusiasm for vintage aircraft preservation was infectious and his special brand of “keep ’em flying” was central in kick starting the vintage aviation restoration movement.”
He credits Cole with an ability to entertain audiences with colorful characters, zany antics, and a comical story line, in the process providing an education that simply isn’t taught anywhere else and showing the aircraft and vehicles in their natural environment.
Clay has been elected the new President of our Board of Trustees. It is with a lifetime of experience at the Aerodrome, both under Cole and beyond that he will work to lead the charge into the future.
The ORA says that they are experiencing a true renaissance at the Aerodrome, with improvements to their infrastructure thanks to the Disosoway Foundation. In addition, they are growing and expanding their offerings and experiences while remaining true to Cole Palen’s vision when he began the Aerodrome over 65 years ago. With a deep level of lifetime/legacy experience in our key positions, we are rooted in the past as we look to the future.
Preservation, education and teaching historical awareness through entertainment remains a cornerstone of the Aerodrome experience, and it is Clay’s hope that he can help to ensure this for decades to come.
Luc Zipkin grew up in Middlebury, Connecticut, in a family passionate about aviation, inspired by his grandfather who became a pilot after WWII. Luc soloed in gliders at 14 and flew a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub at 16. Now a commercial pilot and flight instructor, he runs a tailwheel flight school. He volunteers with the Tunison Foundation, the Commemorative Air Force, and private warbird collections. As the founder of Young Pilots USA, Luc's writing has appeared in AOPA Pilot and EAA's SportAviation. He joined Vintage Aviation News in 2023 and is pursuing a degree in politics, history, and engineering design at Wesleyan University.
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