While the cameras for the hit reality series Ice Pilots NWT stopped rolling years ago, Joe McBryan’s life in Yellowknife has not slowed down. He continues to fly the iconic World War II-era Douglas DC-3, maintaining what was long recognized as the only scheduled DC-3 passenger service in the world.
Joe McBryan , known worldwide as "Buffalo Joe," remains the president and a senior pilot at Buffalo Airways , the legendary northern airline he founded in 1970. As of May 2026, Joe continues to be an active presence in the skies, despite high-profile regulatory battles and a shift in his day-to-day management responsibilities. Continuing the Legacy: From "Ice Pilots" to Today what happened to joe mcbryan
Joe's career has been defined by a famously "turbulent" relationship with Transport Canada. While the cameras for the hit reality series