Colonial Western Airways  Fairchild FC-2  (NC)5508      (c/n 109)

                                   

                                        The history of the Colonial Airways family is inextricably woven into the American Airlines
                                        story and, to the extent that it was eventually taken over by Eastern Air Lines, into that carrier's
                                        history also.  In 1929 Sherman Fairchild, in cooperation with his banker cronies founded the
                                        Aviation Corporation of America (AVCO).  This corporation proceeded to gobble up as many
                                        airlines as it could, and by acquiring the Colonial Airways Corporation and the Universal Aviation
                                        Corporation it managed, in a short time, to get nine airlines under its belt.  One of the elements
                                        of the Colonial Airways Group was Colonial Western (the others being Colonial Air Transport
                                        and Canadian Colonial Airways).  Colonial Western had begun passenger schedules in December
                                        of 1927 from Cleveland to Buffalo via Erie, Pa, using Fairchild FC-2s, one of which is seen above
                                        in this Fairchild Airplane and Engine Company image.