VH-AAG (3)   de Havilland D.H.89A Dragon Rapide                   (c/n 6668)

                            
                            
                                This was the former ZK-BBP (military NZ531 and HG669) and was imported from New Zealand
                                for Alpine Airways of Cooma NSW during 1956.   After various delays, it was finally added to the
                                Australian register as VH-AAG in August 1958, painted in a maroon and cream scheme and named
                                'Rapide.   The aircraft moved to a warmer climate in August 1960 being sold to Bob Carswell and
                                based at Darwin carting buffalo meat from rough remote strips.  Later with Darwin Air Taxis, it struck
                                a kangaroo on takeoff from a station airstrip and limped back to Darwin when it was grounded. The
                                airframe was donated to the RAAF and trucked to a bombing range where it was destroyed by
                                RAAF Sabres in 1964.   Geoff Goodall's shot above (taken from a Dave Eyre slide) was taken at
                                Cootamundra, NSW in 1958.