Associated Air Taxi

Robert Benjamin "Bob" Gayer started Associated Air Taxi Ltd. in 1946, his wife Louise was General Manager of the Company.
Around 1948 he amalgamated with Port Alberni Airways (started by Jack Moul and Slim Knights).

Associated Air Taxi was bought by Central British Columbia Airways Ltd. in 1953. Late 1952 PWA applied to the Air Transport Board to buy Associated Air Taxi Ltd. of Vancouver. Central BC Airways Ltd. was founded in 1946 in Ft. St. James in Northern BC. 1953 this became Pacific Western Airlines, PWA operated by Francis Russell "Russ" Baker

Owner- Robert Benjamin "Bob" Gayer

Herman Joseph "Slim" Knights

Ronald F. "Ron" Connelly and Denny McCartney flew for Associated

Many of these are pilots referenced news articles and the like.

Pilot George W. Lutz, of Vancouver, was sued after an accident May 9, 1949, by widow and children of Lorne Thomas McLean, who was awarded $47,900 in damages McLean was a 33 year old Logging superintendent plane crash landed at “Bohn” Point, southwest of Forbes Bay, Homfray Channel, Vancouver Island. Pilot broke both his legs, but he lived.

Pilot Ken Kirk of 2348 E 49th st, rescued a logger on a boat in Bute Inlet, Sept 21, 1950

Pilot Stu Phillip flew an Eronca Sedan aircraft on a mercy mission, June 1952

Pilot, Dave Floyd, and Al Grieg, both of Sea Island,flew a mercy flight Jan 16, 1952 from Britannia Mines to Vancouver. They flew a Waco ambulance Plane

Pilot Ken Quest, age 24, flew Jan 4, 1952 made a mercy flight from Squamish

Pilot Lawrence Walter “Larry” Mantie of Vancouver(b-1926 in Saskatoon SK, d- Aug 22, 1985 Powell River BC; see contributed note below on this man) along with Captain Albert E. Wehner of Jervis Inlet, were rescued by the SS Princess Elizabeth, Feb 27, 1950 they were flying a light Aeronca, amphibious plane. They were flying from Nelson Island where Capt. Wehner was living, to Vancouver. Wehner was a German born Scientist,who was seeking gold treasures, all around the world, at that time.

Pilot Dennis Pierce made a medical flight from Cracroft island, Oct 1948

Pilot Mac Willard flew a mercy flight June 1951

Received a phone call and email from Dennis McMahon Apr 25, 2012 and he informed me that his father John Francis "Jack" McMahon worked for Bob Gayer, at Associated Air Taxi.

Ad from Jack McMahon's file from Denny

This information made Grant remember another name, Emerson Wallace, who worked at Associated. He was a WWII Fighter Pilot. He had a wife Pat, and a son. According to Grant he was always a happy guy. Stocky build.

Unknown plane in front of hangar
Then this info came in from Dave Hilchie, Cumberland BC:
Re. your interesting site, the “unknown airplane in front of hangar” pictures, near the bottom of the page, is an Avro Anson Mk V. These were WWII training aircraft used by the RCAF and several hundred were licensed for civilian use after the war. The aircraft in the photo has additional window area added in the nose, most likely for aerial photography work. They were useful and well liked in general but due to an all plywood construction were reduced to a handful still operating by the early sixties. There's one flyable Anson left in this country, with the Museum people in Hamilton. The mark fives had Wasp Junior engines, which eventually became more valuable than the aircraft, due to deterioration of the plywood airframe and no doubt ex-Anson engines are still flying on Beavers etc.
Also the pilot Lawrence Mantie mentioned halfway down the page was well known and highly respected around the Vancouver area. He was the Chief Pilot for Crown Zellerbach for decades, flying their Goose CF-BAE for many thousands of hours. Tragically he died in a takeoff accident at Powell River airport in his private Harvard circa 1985, after he had retired from CZ. note- British Aeroplane Engines Ltd. behind this hangar.