What Happened To Joe Mcbryan -
The story of Buffalo Airways continues under Mikey McBryan, but the soul of the operation—the original Buffalo Joe—is gone. The question "what happened to Joe McBryan" is ultimately a sad one. It’s a story of age, ego, family loyalty, and the brutal reality that even legends get old, and even empires can be taken apart by those closest to them.
As for Joe McBryan: He is no longer involved with the company he founded. According to multiple sources and occasional social media updates from family members (particularly his daughter-in-law, who has been critical of Mikey and Julie), Joe lives a relatively quiet life in the Northwest Territories. He is in his late 70s (born 1946) and is reportedly in fragile health. what happened to joe mcbryan
Rod McBryan initially sided with Mikey and Julie in the 2018 board vote. However, Rod later fell out with Mikey and left the company. Rod has since made public statements suggesting that Mikey and Julie manipulated him and that the original coup was a mistake. Rod now runs a separate aviation business. The story of Buffalo Airways continues under Mikey
(which includes many Ice Pilots fans and some former employees) argues it was a cold-hearted betrayal. They point out that Joe built Buffalo Airways from nothing. They argue that the "mental decline" was exaggerated, that Joe was simply old-school and abrasive, and that his children were impatient to cash in. They note that Mikey had chafed under his father’s authority for years on the TV show, and that this was a long-planned power grab. As for Joe McBryan: He is no longer
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. Note: As with all private legal and medical matters, information is based on public court records, news reports from Canadian media (CBC, Edmonton Journal), statements from family members, and fan investigations. Joe McBryan and the McBryan family have not issued a joint public statement since the settlement.
Today, is the face and operational head of Buffalo Airways. He runs the day-to-day operations, manages the fleet, and has taken the airline in a more modern direction—including a major pivot into firefighting and cargo services. Julie McBryan remains involved in the administrative side.
