VH-AAW (1)  Fairchild  24C-8E                              (c/n  2817)

                             

                                 Rare shot from the Geoff Goodall collection of the first VH-AAW, imported in August 1936 from
                                 the US, where it had been NC16356.   It was shipped as cargo on the SS "City of Manila" and
                                 assembled at Essendon for George A. Watkins of Melbourne.   The above photo was taken at
                                 Mascot in 1937.   VH-AAW was the first Fairchild imported to Australia.  In April 1937 it was
                                 sold to Axel Von Goes of Sydney who moved to England in 1938 to work at the de Havilland
                                 Technical School at Hatfield.  He had the Fairchild shipped to England.    It was seen flying at
                                 Croydon Aerodrome on 26 March 1938, and in May 1938 it was struck while parked at Hatfield
                                 by a taxying D.H.87.    It became G-AFKW registered to Van Goes in March 1939. With the
                                 outbreak of war, it was impressed into the RAF as BK868.