Mid-America Airways  Curtiss C-46  N1822M                     (c/n  22521)

                                      

                                           Bill Larkins, who took the above shot at Oakland in September 1952 wonders if the paying pax
                                           were expected to climb up the steel ladder to gain entry/egress to this C-46?!!  I have nothing on
                                           this carrier at all.      The aircraft was registered to Argonaut Airways at the time.  It is, in fact, the
                                           same machine as I use to exemplify that latter carrier.  Could Mid-America have been an Argonaut
                                           trading name?   The Lodestar in the right background, incidentally, is a Transocean aircraft.
                                           N1822M spent a varied career (mainly in and out of receivership) when sold by Argonaut in 1955
                                           and eventually wound up as Everts Air Fuel 'Salmon Ella'  (cute, eh?).     See the nice shot below
                                           from the superb 'Oldprops' website.