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The show goes on at the aerodrome

Hudson-Catskill Newspapers

RHINEBECK — Less than a week after its first fatal air crash, the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome presented a limited air show Saturday, with a full air show dedicated to late pilot Vincent Nasta planned for today.

Nasta, a children’s book illustrator and high school art teacher from Long Island, was killed during a simulated dog fight around 4 p.m. last Sunday when the replica 1917 biplane he was flying crashed into a wooded area at the Aerodrome. Funeral services for Nasta are Monday are Long Island.

“This is a tough day for everyone here,” said announcer Jim Hare. “We lost a good friend and a good pilot. It’s never easy, but it does happen.”

As well as being a great aviator who flew in many different styles, such as World War I and barnstorming, Hare said, Nasta transported organs to recipients.

“We share our condolences with his family and his extended family at the Aerodrome,” he said, adding that Saturday’s slow-paced show would be dedicated to Nasta.

News of the crash didn’t keep Aerodrome customers out of the skies. Even at $65 a seat for a 15-minute ride in an open-cockpit biplane, business was non-stop starting at 9 a.m., according to employees. The planes take two to four customers at a time out along the Hudson River and over the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.

Dave, Liz and Logan Maddock drove out from Northridgeville, Ohio to see the Aerodrome. All three were ready to climb in the 1929 biplane, but Logan, a boy of seven or eight, backed out at the last moment, so his parents rode without him.

“I think the roar of the engine was a little much for him,” said Dave Maddock. “It’s funny — he’s the aviation nut.”

“So are you,” Logan said.

Dave, a licensed pilot, described the sound in the cockpit as “totally loud — like a motorcycle — you’re out in the elements.”

“You hear every little hitch and yah,” Liz said. “I had a death grip on your [Dave’s] pants.”

Dave said he was surprised that it was his wife who insisted on going after Logan backed out. But she may not have been expecting to simulate falling.

“I think he was going to give us more for our money until you screamed,” he told her.

He said he hadn’t heard about last week’s fatal crash, was sad for the pilot, but glad the show went on.

Arthur Campbell of Boston said the ride was “spectacular.”

“I’ve been in small planes, but an open cockpit,” he said. “It’s noisy, but the engine is fairly muffled. The visibility is unequaled because of your position and the openness of the aircraft.” The pilot sits behind the passengers.

Campbell said he came out specifically to go to the Aerodrome. “I like equipment, I’m a guy,” he said. “I came here 30 years ago, and I wanted to check it out again.”

He said he had heard about the crash, but that didn’t stop him.

“These are professional guys,” he said. “They know what they’re doing. Our pilot didn’t do acrobatic maneuvers; it was a very safe flight, comparable to what you’d take if you were learning how to fly. If you want a thrill, jump on that airplane.”

Hare said the D-25 biplanes were built during the barnstorming era of the late 1920s, when pilots went around the country giving short rides and stunt exhibitions. “They only built 60; we’re flying two,” he said. Many of the others were converted into cropdusters, he said.

To reach reporter John Mason, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail jmason@registerstar.com.

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