What Happened To Joe Mcbryan Jun 2026

The airline's Air Operator Certificate was suspended in late 2015 due to a "poor safety record," "recurring accidents," and a lack of compliance with safety regulations.

Joe is still alive (as of 2025), but he has stepped back from day-to-day operations. In recent years, he’s faced legal battles, health issues, and family disputes over the future of Buffalo Airways.

To lift the grounding order and save the family business, McBryan took an extreme step:

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.

According to family statements and official Buffalo Airways press releases, Joe McBryan contracted . However, it was not a simple case. At 75 years old, with underlying health conditions common to men of his age and lifestyle (including complications from a lifetime of aviation stress and, reportedly, diabetes), the virus hit him exceptionally hard. what happened to joe mcbryan

As a pilot in his 70s, McBryan undergoes rigorous medical testing, including evaluations at the Mayo Clinic , to maintain his flying license. Legacy and Current Status Buffalo Joe Could Lose His Pilots Licence

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.

According to recent Buffalo Airways YouTube updates , Joe faced a 10-day suspension of his pilot's license for an incident involving flying in low fog two years prior. Joe often considered his license "just a piece of paper," arguing that the regulatory focus on him was because of his high profile in the North.

For a wide global audience, Joe McBryan is instantly recognizable as the gruff, no-nonsense star of the History Channel's hit reality series Running for six seasons from 2009 to 2014, the show offered a raw, unflinching look at the daily struggles and triumphs of his family-run airline. The airline's Air Operator Certificate was suspended in

The most pivotal moment in Joe’s recent history occurred in , when Transport Canada suspended Buffalo Airways' Air Operator Certificate (AOC) due to a poor safety record and administrative deficiencies. To get the airline back in the air, Joe was required to step away from day-to-day management .

For those who admired him, Buffalo Joe will always be the man who kept the piston engines roaring in the Arctic night. But today, the roar has faded. And the man who once ruled the northern skies is now watching from the ground, a living ghost of the airline he built.

When Joe finally discovered the theft in 2013, it was a death blow. He had to shut down heavy-haul operations, lay off almost all staff, and sell off his fleet of iconic trucks to pay debts.

Providing a vital lifeline for food and mail to isolated Arctic settlements. To lift the grounding order and save the

: 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.

In recent years, Joe has focused on passing his decades of knowledge to the next generation. He has spearheaded initiatives to train northern pilots in aerial firefighting , utilizing new assets like the Air Tractor AT-802 Fire Boss to ensure the airline remains a vital part of Northwest Territories infrastructure. Regulatory Hurdles and Management Changes

: As of late 2025 and early 2026, Joe has been spotted flying various aircraft, including a Cessna 185 Skywagon and the King Air .