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| Memories & Reflections From Don Bodeen - The Palen Farm |
Taking the photos (below, of the old Palen farm) was a time for me to reminisce
and think of the good times that Cole and I and some of my friends had on the
Palen farm.
As I thought, I came to the conclusion that Cole's parents likely thought him a little
strange, this late in life young son of theirs, as all he thought of day and night was
antique airplanes. He seemed to live in a distant time as he would relate to us
younger kids the stories of WWI, the escapades of the Red Baron, and how he
was shot down by rifle fire from the trenches, and Captain A. Roy Brown. He
always liked to tell how because of the torque of the LeRhone rotary engine the
Baron in his Fokker Triplane could negotiate very tight right hand turns and used
this advantage in the dogfights. Of course, turning left was another matter and he
would use the "blip button" on top of the stick to kill the engine to reduce its torque
so he could glide around in a left turn, thus decreasing the radius of what would
have been a wide left turn counteracting the torque at full power.
We kids thrilled to Cole's stories of how the various airplanes were constructed.
He used to say that the Canuck was really a Jenny, that it was "a British airplane,
built in Canada, by a French company." He told of the Snipe with its short
fuselage and powerful engine that was the fastest climber of them all but was very
prone to ground-looping, and of the Nieuport that would shed its wing fabric in a
dive.
I shall never forget the date of July 25, 1909. On that day a little Frenchman with
an injured and very sore large toe climbed into his fragile plane at Calais and flew
across the English Channel to crash land in the fields next to Dover Castle atop
those renowned white English cliffs. And so came into being the dictum that "any
landing that one could walk away from was a good one." Of course that gentleman
was none other that Louis Bleriot!
And so it was that we knew and loved the round-faced, nearly bald-headed jocular
little man with the raucous laugh who had a dream of having an airport and what
he called a "flying museum" of early WWI aircraft. Few, if anyone then, believed
that it would ever happen. But they did not know Cole! He created his dream and
lived it. He was an inspiration to many, friend to all, and enemy to none. All whom
he touched will miss him dearly.
and think of the good times that Cole and I and some of my friends had on the
Palen farm.
As I thought, I came to the conclusion that Cole's parents likely thought him a little
strange, this late in life young son of theirs, as all he thought of day and night was
antique airplanes. He seemed to live in a distant time as he would relate to us
younger kids the stories of WWI, the escapades of the Red Baron, and how he
was shot down by rifle fire from the trenches, and Captain A. Roy Brown. He
always liked to tell how because of the torque of the LeRhone rotary engine the
Baron in his Fokker Triplane could negotiate very tight right hand turns and used
this advantage in the dogfights. Of course, turning left was another matter and he
would use the "blip button" on top of the stick to kill the engine to reduce its torque
so he could glide around in a left turn, thus decreasing the radius of what would
have been a wide left turn counteracting the torque at full power.
We kids thrilled to Cole's stories of how the various airplanes were constructed.
He used to say that the Canuck was really a Jenny, that it was "a British airplane,
built in Canada, by a French company." He told of the Snipe with its short
fuselage and powerful engine that was the fastest climber of them all but was very
prone to ground-looping, and of the Nieuport that would shed its wing fabric in a
dive.
I shall never forget the date of July 25, 1909. On that day a little Frenchman with
an injured and very sore large toe climbed into his fragile plane at Calais and flew
across the English Channel to crash land in the fields next to Dover Castle atop
those renowned white English cliffs. And so came into being the dictum that "any
landing that one could walk away from was a good one." Of course that gentleman
was none other that Louis Bleriot!
And so it was that we knew and loved the round-faced, nearly bald-headed jocular
little man with the raucous laugh who had a dream of having an airport and what
he called a "flying museum" of early WWI aircraft. Few, if anyone then, believed
that it would ever happen. But they did not know Cole! He created his dream and
lived it. He was an inspiration to many, friend to all, and enemy to none. All whom
he touched will miss him dearly.
___________________________________________________________________
| Don Bodeen's Photos Of The Palen Farm (click to enlarge) |
The Palen farm is where it all started. Cole's parents were very supportive of his
dream, and allowed Cole to store his newly acquired aircraft in their abandoned
chicken coops. The farm is where the first aircraft in the collection were restored, and
Cole's friend Don Bodeen was fortunate enough to share the experience. Don has
been kind enough to send his photos of the Palen farm as it appears today. He has
also included interesting facts and memories related to the house and the property,
which Cole eventually sold to Vassar Road Baptist Church.
dream, and allowed Cole to store his newly acquired aircraft in their abandoned
chicken coops. The farm is where the first aircraft in the collection were restored, and
Cole's friend Don Bodeen was fortunate enough to share the experience. Don has
been kind enough to send his photos of the Palen farm as it appears today. He has
also included interesting facts and memories related to the house and the property,
which Cole eventually sold to Vassar Road Baptist Church.
| A photo from the June 1960 issue of True Magazine showing Cole with the fuselage of his original Fokker DVII in front of the house at the Palen farm. (210 KB) |
| Another photo from the June 1960 issue of True Magazine showing Cole working on the fuselage of his original Nieuport 28 as it protrudes from a chicken coop. (161 KB) |
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