XA-KIM  Convair 340-51                           (c/n  146)

                                       

                                          Here's XA-KIM at Acapulco Airport, circa 1955.   As a seasoned (business) traveller in the
                                          1960s, 70s and 80s I, like most of the wags of the day, had a double interpretation of most of
                                          the world's airline acronyms (generally undeserved, but hilarious nevertheless). .  For instance,
                                          SABENA was "Some Awful Bloody Experience - Never Again!";  PIA was "Perhaps It'll Arrive!"
                                          and OLYMPIC "Onassis Likes Your Money Paid In Cash!",  to name but a few. Well, Aeronaves
                                          was always referred to as "Aero Maybe".  In fact, the shot below does little to instill confidence
                                          as to the maintenance procedures of the day and may partially account for the nickname.  One
                                          wonders what part the walking stick played in the work being done on the exhaust thrust augment-
                                          ation efflux of the port Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp on this CVAC 340?   (Probably XA-KIM
                                          again).