Max Ward became a pilot and then an instructor in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. His first company, Polaris Charter Company, was established in 1946 in Yellowknife. It provided passenger and cargo services from Yellowknife into the remote regions of the north and Arctic. Much of the flying occurred north of Yellowknife into uncharted areas where Max Ward took prospectors looking for gold and other minerals. To do this, he had to learn how to fly and navigate by sight. He transported people and their cargo into the wilderness, and brought them back with cargo that included bars of gold from northern mines. At times, Max provided air transportation to members of the Royal Family when they visited the North.