VH-AES  Douglas DC-3CS1C3G                                             (c/n  6021)                    

                                                                                     
                                                                                                                            
                                                    Another one of the priginal 5th Air Force C-47-DKs, it was the aircraft which made
                                                    TAA's first scheduled flight (between Melbourne and Sydney) on 9 September 1946.
                                                    It was named 'Hawdon', (as in my photo above at Essendon in 1954) later 'Hartog'.
                                                    It went to TAA Sunbird services in New Guinea in 1960 as VH-SBA.    After being
                                                    withdrawn from service it returned tMelbourne and was repainted as VH-AES for
                                                    TAA's 25th Anniversary Flight.  After being stored for several years it was hung in
                                                    front of the passenger terminal at Tullamarine from December 1979 until mid 1987.
                                                    In 1988 it was restored to flying condition and registered to Hawdon Operations Ltd.
                                                    Ian Mcdonell saw it (below) at an air show at Bankstown in 1990.