Despite these pressures, Joe has not fully retired in the traditional sense. His passion for flying has always been his primary drive, leading him to continue working on the dock and operating vintage planes well past the typical age of retirement. Regulatory Battles and the "Final" Flight
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The most important news first: . Despite his age, he remains an active flier.
In late 2021, the story turned from sad to scandalous.
His son, Mikey McBryan , has taken on the role of General Manager and serves as the primary face of the company’s operations and media presence (including the Plane Savers series). What Happened with Transport Canada? what happened to joe mcbryan
To understand the fall, one must understand the height from which Joe fell. Between 2009 and 2014, Ice Pilots NWT aired on History Channel, turning the McBryan family into celebrities. Viewers watched Joe—a man who looked like a grizzled prospector and swore like a sailor—fly vintage DC-3s at -50°C, hauling fuel, food, and freight to remote diamond mines and Arctic villages.
In response to the AOC suspension, Joe McBryan took a significant step by signing a letter agreeing to to allow an independent consultant to manage the company and get the certificate reinstated. Sol Taboada, the hired consultant, acknowledged problems including a lack of a robust safety system and "spotty" paperwork.
He remains the sole owner of Buffalo Airways, which is still operated as a tight-knit family business with his children—Mikey, Rod, and Kathy—holding key executive positions. The Battle with Transport Canada Buffalo Joe Could Lose His Pilots Licence
This was the pivotal moment. Without Mikey’s modern management, Buffalo Airways began to hemorrhage cash and compliance. Despite these pressures, Joe has not fully retired
While Joe’s heart belongs to vintage piston-driven aircraft, the company has integrated newer technology. They recently added a jet-engine Boeing 737-300 freighter to their fleet to handle larger cargo volumes more efficiently.
: This required Joe McBryan to step down from direct oversight of day-to-day operations and safety management, paving the way for a more modernized corporate structure.
While the Ice Pilots NWT TV series concluded years ago, Joe continues to operate his office-museum in the Yellowknife hangar and remains a central figure in his son's newer projects, such as the Plane Savers aircraft restoration series.
Stepping away from daily management did not mean retiring. Throughout the late 2010s and 2020s, Joe remained active. This link or copies made by others cannot be deleted
In 2015, Joe faced one of the biggest hurdles of his career when Transport Canada suspended Buffalo Airways’ air operator certificate due to safety record concerns. During this period, Joe made a difficult but necessary decision to step back from some day-to-day safety management roles to allow the company to restructure and satisfy federal requirements. The suspension was lifted in early 2016, and the company emerged with a modernized safety management system. A Lasting Legacy in the North
This is where public opinion divides sharply.
: Although the show ended its six-season run in 2014, Joe’s reputation as a hard-nosed, dedicated aviator persists. He is often seen in Mikey McBryan's popular YouTube docuseries, Plane Savers , which documents the restoration of historic aircraft. Commitment to the North
: For decades, Joe was famous for his devotion to World War II-era piston-engine aircraft, particularly the Douglas DC-3 and C-46. However, in recent years, the airline has transitioned toward more modern turboprops like the ATR 42 and ATR 72