Max Ward (bush pilot)

Maxwell (Max) William Ward (b. November 22, 1921, Edmonton, Alberta) pioneering Canadian aviator and founder of Wardair airlines.

Early Flying

Joining the Royal Canadian Air Force, Max Ward received his wings in 1941 and was assigned to training command as an instructor. He trained other pilots as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan for the duration of the war.

In 1946, he started is first company Polaris Charter Company out of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. This was a short-lived operation that was dissolved in 1949.

After two years in Alberta making a living with various trade work, he returned to Yellowknife to try flying again in 1951.

Wardair

Flying as a charter pilot for two years the opportunity arose to get a license to operate his own commercial air service. With this and a brand new De Havilland Otter, Wardair was born in 1953.

Wardair operated within Canada until the 1960s when Max started looking at overseas charter as a business oppourtunity. He took Wardair public in 1961 but retained controlling interest. After another 20 years of economic rollercoasters, competition from the likes of Air Canada and Canadian Pacific Airlines and government regulation - he finally sold Wardair to PWA International to become part of the new Canadian Airlines in 1989

Legacy

* International Northwest Aviation Council - Billy Mitchell Award, 1971
* Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, 1974
* Order of Icarus,1973
* Trans-Canada Trophy (McKee Trophy), 1973
* Officer of the Order of Canada, 1975
* Canadian Business Hall of Fame
* Alberta Order of Excellence, 1989

External links

* [http://www.cbc.ca/lifeandtimes/ward.html Life and Times - Max Ward] cbc.com
* [http://www.exn.ca/FlightDeck/Aviators/ward.cfm Maxwell (Max) William Ward] Flight Deck - Great Aviators
* [http://www.lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca/aoe/ward.cfm Max Ward at the Alberta Order of Excellence]