A Message from Clay Hammond
Dear ORA, Friends, Patrons, Family and Faithful,
Headwinds are a normal part of flying. You don’t necessarily know when they will spring up, nor from which direction they will come from…if not direct on the nose. There are multiple components to the regulatory compliance that our airshows are governed by, allowing us to inhabit the National Airspace System on the dates and times that we set. The organization has a waiver document signed by the FAA that allows us to perform our airshows for the public. Our pilots all have Statements of Aerobatic Competency Letters issued by the FAA that allow them to perform in the waivered airshow in the specific acts and aircraft that they operate in. And our Air Bosses all have a Letter of Authorization that they operate under within the Air Boss Recognition Program as set forth and authorized by the FAA as well.
It is this last aspect of the total package that has presented us with headwinds at the start of this 2025 Season at Old Rhinebeck. Air Bosses, for those unaware, are the director and stage manager of the airshow rolled up into one position. They run the airshow first and foremost keeping it safe and keep it on track as to time and continuity. The Aerodrome has three accredited Air Bosses that it employs for the carrying out of our airshows. Three so that we have overlap and so that no one single person has to be in that position for all of the 38-40 airshows we have scheduled per season. The Air Boss authorization is granted for a period of three years and then must be renewed thru a renewal application. Two of our Air Bosses came up due for renewal at the end of last season and that renewal process was begun on time and with intent to have finished before the start of 2025 airshows. Alas…these renewals have not yet been granted despite our best efforts, and we continue discussion with the FAA to provide them with the information and documentation desired to reach a satisfactory resolution. Our third Air Boss experienced a family emergency and can not be with us for the first two weekends (we all wish him strength and fair winds), and beyond that we are working on his scheduling to cover additional weekends. We are also in discussion with other industry Air Bosses from out on the regional and national airshow circuit to provide coverage and assistance as needed.
We DO have a clear path to resolution as dictated by the FAA and our industry administrative body the International Council of Air Shows, it is just taking time to carry out, time that is unfortunately eating into the beginning of our season. The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome and the “fixed base airshow” that it presents is a different animal than the airshows that you see at other airports. We utilize staff pilots and staff air bosses who live and work locally here in the Hudson Valley and surrounding region, and we put on an airshow at our museum every weekend for 20 weeks during our season. This is unique and different than the industry standard which is single airshows annually at a given location, with traveling performers and air bosses who criss-cross the country all year long. Because of these differences, Old Rhinebeck often finds itself working to fit itself into the industry standard in ways that are difficult, but not insurmountable.
To close, I wish to thank everyone for their continued support of Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. Its airshows, museum, and program offerings ALL benefit from your continued and unwavering patronage. Headwinds can slow down a journey, but that does not necessarily change the direction or destination. We will adjust as necessary to ride out this temporary setback and I look forward to seeing all of you on the flight line fence on an airshow day in the near future. Stay tuned to our website and socials for new information as it becomes available.
Clay, President Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum