Ice Pilots NWT

These pilots fly neat old planes in one of the most hostile (and spectacular) environments on the planet, operating Buffalo Air out of Yellowknife, NWT.

Their planes are chosen for toughness, reliability and cargo capacity. It can't be that cheap to run a DC-3 or a DC-4 nowadays, but the only reference to this was the owner grumbling about one newer plane that turned large quantities of jet fuel in to black smoke.

With these ingredients it would be hard to make a show like this dull. I have seen it described as Ice Road Truckers in planes, but aviation in the north is a completely different animal, and can never be taken for granted.

I thoroughly enjoy this series, the flying and the personal struggles so realistically presented. I admire Buffalo Joe for eking a living out of flying ancient out-of-production war-birds, while keeping his operation running safely with low experience level pilots. I have memorable experiences in the Arctic on a U. S. Navy icebreaker to Thule Air Base in the summer of 1961, and flying twin radial engine Navy P-2 Neptune patrol planes in Alaska in 1965-67 and in the Sea of Okhotsk north of Japan. This series brings back many memories of cold weather operations. I enjoy every episode, but especially the C-46 engine change outside in -40C weather at Norman Wells by Chuck Adams, and the DC-3 landings on skis on a frozen river by Captain Justin Simle. Also love Mikie McBryan's cheerful resourcefulness. One of the few series I would watch over and over.

Amazing and amusing, well worth watching. Still wondering why they keep all these museum items in the air. There are many much better and more fuel effective turbo props and even jets on the market to reasonable prices. A little modernization would not hurt even when it comes to personnel management. Management by fear will hold Buffalo back just as much as outdated planes.

I can't imagine what it must be like to work for an idiot like the boss. Worn-out poorly maintained equipment and a boss that wants $$$$ and NOTHING else....so how can you not wonder how many times, when the cameras are pointing the other way, that jobs get done just good enough to work..never mind safety..... It's obvious that safety and quality are NOT the words that the boss is familiar with but then again....it is e3ntertaining...as long as you don't have to work for a fool like this. The show would like us to see the boss ( Joe ) as a tough hard-working individual who carved a living out of a tough environment and gets it done by grit alone.....unfortunately the reality comes across all too often with quick, poorly thought snap decisions by one person and damn the rest of you....I want it this way so make it happen. Amusing and entertaining but in a very dysfunctional way.

Who cares what "Mikey" is doing, and "Mikeys Adventures" if you want a show about some twit that wants to talk the whole time and show him doing things totally unrelated to the company and show then give him his own show. "Mikey" makes this show sickening, from his voice to stupid things he does and says he is annoying and ruins the show.

Also, how can the Canadian Government allow an airline to still fly old junk like these planes? Every 2nd show is a break down or parts search, why not start a show for Canadian North or Bradley First Aid who flies normal decent planes.

Show is a total joke, made worse by "Mikey"