What Happened To Joe Mcbryan

Joe McBryan , the legendary "Buffalo Joe" and founder of Buffalo Airways

By mid-December 2020, Joe’s condition deteriorated rapidly. He was admitted to Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife. Within days, he was transferred to the , which has a specialized unit for severe respiratory illness.

As of April 2026, Transport Canada has increased scrutiny on Buffalo Airways, insisting that Joe step down as the company's designated "accountable executive" to ensure compliance. This represents a significant shift from his role as the absolute ruler of the airline, forcing him to delegate more authority. Where is Joe McBryan Now? (2026 Status)

At over 80 years old, Joe McBryan continues to serve as the President of Buffalo Airways. He still maintains his pilot’s license and can frequently be found in the cockpit of his beloved Douglas DC-3. His daily routine remains largely unchanged: he is often the first one at the Yellowknife hangar in the morning and the last to leave, overseeing the complex logistics of cargo and passenger service to remote northern communities. The Evolution of Buffalo Airways

: Joe continues to show up to the hangar regularly, offering his unmatched mechanical and historical expertise on vintage aircraft. what happened to joe mcbryan

Joe McBryan, affectionately known to the world as "Buffalo Joe," became a household name for aviation enthusiasts and fans of reality television through his role as the gruff, unwavering president of . As the heart of the hit show Ice Pilots NWT , which ran from 2009 to 2014, Joe showcased a gritty, old-school style of aviation, piloting WWII-era propeller planes through the harshest conditions of the Canadian North.

and the "Accountable Executive" role. His son, Rod McBryan, now serves as the Accountable Executive. Continued Ownership:

So… what happened to him?

He continues to spend time on the docks in Yellowknife, acting as the spiritual, if not officially the sole operational, head of the company. Joe McBryan , the legendary "Buffalo Joe" and

The grounding came after a series of incidents, including a 2013 emergency landing in Yellowknife where a DC-3 suffered an engine fire shortly after takeoff. Passenger David Connelly vividly recalled the terrifying experience: "We were cutting the trees," he said. "Had we hit the trees, had we gone totally into the trees, it would've been game over."

In recent years, federal regulators slapped Joe with a brief, high-profile 10-day pilot's license suspension. The penalty stemmed from allegations that he had executed a flight through low, thick fog below legal visibility limits two years prior.

The biggest shift in Joe McBryan’s public career occurred in late 2015 and early 2016. Due to a series of incidents and audits by Transport Canada, Buffalo Airways faced intense regulatory scrutiny over its safety record and management systems.

His nickname is "Buffalo Joe." He earned it when his airline was contracted to fight fires protecting a herd of buffalo in the Northwest Territories. As of April 2026, Transport Canada has increased

Inspectors found:

His fame exploded in 2009 when Ice Pilots NWT premiered on History Channel. Viewers loved his gruff demeanor, his feuds with his son Mikey, and his obsessive love for "classic iron." He wasn't just a CEO; he was a living museum curator who happened to fly cargo.

The most important news first: . Despite his age, he remains an active flier.