by Thomas N. Pawlesh
On November 2, 2024, the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Red Hook, New York hosted 24 photographers for the first-ever night photoshoot. Drawing from the large collection at Old Rhinebeck, seven aircraft in six different scenes were photographed and a special surprise ended the evening. Constant LED lighting was used and each aircraft was run for eight minutes.
Our first scene was the “Dawn Patrol” with the 1917 Sopwith Camel and the 1916 Sopwith Pup. The Pup barked but wouldn’t start so only the Camel with its impressive rotary engine was run. Next up, we photographed a couple of “Airmail pilots” loading bags of mail in the 1917 Curtiss JN-4H Jenny before their scheduled mail run. Third, was a beautiful white and orange 1930 Fleet Model 1.
We photographed a “flight instructor” from the De Havilland School of Flying having a spot of tea before his student arrived for his flying lesson.The bright red Tiger Moth made for some stunning night photos. The 1927 Stinson SM-1 Detroiter was our next subject, its passengers arrived in luxury in a 1927 Chandler Phaeton. Our last scene was a 1929 New Standard D-25 being serviced by a 1925 Ford Model T fuel truck.
As promised, we had a special surprise for the photographers. We went back in time to April 28, 1927 and the Ryan Flying Hangar in San Diego, California. There, we witnessed the engine being run on the recently completed Ryan NYP Spirit of St Louis. Charles Lindbergh was at the controls and I believe I spotted one of the builders, aircraft mechanic Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan driving a 1925 Ford Model T Pick-up. To complete the story we transported the photographers to Le Bourget Airport outside of Paris, France. The date is May 21, 1927 and Charles Lindbergh has just completed his triumphant flight from New York. The Spirit of St Louis sits on the field while a lone Renault Taxicab waits to take Parisians back into town. For more information about the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome , visit www.oldrhinebeck.org
