What Happened To Joe Mcbryan May 2026

After years of legal battles, court hearings, and failed mediations, the case was eventually settled out of court in late 2020 or early 2021 (the exact terms remain confidential, as is typical in such family disputes). However, the outcome is clear to anyone watching.

Joe McBryan lost control of Buffalo Airways.

Today, Mikey McBryan 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.

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.

He does not appear in Buffalo Airways’ promotional materials. He is not on the company website’s leadership page. The man once known as "Buffalo Joe" has been completely separated from the "Buffalo" brand.

Related search suggestions provided.

Joe McBryan , better known as " Buffalo Joe remains the owner and legendary pilot of Buffalo Airways April 2026

. While he is no longer involved in the airline's day-to-day management due to past regulatory agreements, he continues to fly his beloved vintage aircraft across the Canadian North. Buffalo Joe : The Legend of the North Still Flying

At nearly 80 years old, Joe McBryan continues to be the heart of the Yellowknife-based airline he founded in 1970. Despite years of regulatory battles and the end of the hit reality series Ice Pilots NWT

, Joe’s commitment to "the physical art of flying" remains unchanged. HOME - BUFFALO AIRWAYS 25 Nov 2025 — what happened to joe mcbryan

Joe McBryan, also known as "Joe the Plumber," is an American plumber and reality TV personality who gained fame after his appearance at the 2009 G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, where he confronted then-President Barack Obama about his tax plan.

Here's a brief rundown of what happened to Joe McBryan:

Some interesting facts about Joe McBryan:

Overall, Joe McBryan's fame was a result of his unapologetic and straightforward approach to politics, which resonated with many Americans. While his popularity has waxed and waned over the years, he remains a recognizable figure in American popular culture.

Here’s a social media post suitable for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, depending on your audience.

🛩️ What Happened to Joe McBryan? The "Buffalo Joe" Mystery

If you’ve followed Ice Pilots NWT or the legendary Buffalo Airways, you know Joe McBryan—the gruff, larger-than-life "Buffalo Joe" who kept WWII-era planes flying in Canada’s remote North.

So… what happened to him?

The short answer:
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. After years of legal battles, court hearings, and

The longer story:

Where is he now?
Joe lives mostly out of the public eye, though he occasionally surfaces in local Yellowknife news or in updates from aviation enthusiasts. Buffalo Airways still operates, but the iconic "Buffalo Joe" is no longer in the cockpit.

The takeaway:
Joe McBryan is a legend of northern aviation—tough, colorful, and fiercely independent. Time, family conflict, and the harsh reality of running a vintage airline in the 21st century have finally slowed him down. But for fans of Ice Pilots, he’ll always be the guy who kept the DC-3s flying when everyone else said "retire them."

It wasn't just the virus. While sedated and on a ventilator, Joe suffered secondary infections. His family later revealed that he endured pneumonia and struggled with kidney function. At one point, doctors reportedly gave him only a 10% chance of survival. The man who had stared down Arctic blizzards and engine fires was now fighting for his life in a sterile ICU bed.

This is where public opinion divides sharply.

The Mikey/Julie camp argues that they had no choice. They claim they were trying to save the airline from a founder who was, due to age and health, becoming a danger to himself, his employees, and the public. Flying heavy, antique aircraft in the Arctic is merciless, and a single cognitive lapse could kill people. From this perspective, the coup was an act of tough love and corporate responsibility.

The Joe camp (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.

Without access to sealed medical records and private board minutes, the full truth remains known only to the McBryan family.

In late 2021, the story turned from sad to scandalous. Joe McBryan was sued by his own daughter, Julie, and his ex-wife, Margo. Some interesting facts about Joe McBryan:

The lawsuit was a 40-page document that ripped the mask off the legend. It alleged that Joe had been secretly siphoning millions of dollars from Buffalo Airways to fuel a secret second life. The allegations included:

But the most shocking revelation was personal: the lawsuit alleged that for years, Joe had been living with and supporting a second, common-law family—including a woman named Danielle and her children—while keeping Margo and his adult children in the dark.

The northern legend was suddenly a northern deadbeat.

Mikey and Julie did not just defend themselves; they counter-sued. Their legal filings included affidavits from employees, business associates, and even former medical professionals who alleged that Joe’s behavior had become erratic and dangerous.

Specific claims included:

Most damning was a 2017 capacity assessment (later challenged by Joe’s lawyers) that allegedly suggested Joe showed signs of mild cognitive impairment consistent with early-stage dementia or the effects of multiple heart attacks.

Joe, for his part, denied everything. He produced his own medical reports and affidavits from pilots and mechanics who swore he was still sharp. He insisted this was a simple case of greed: his children wanted to sell the valuable real estate and assets of Buffalo Airways, while he wanted to keep flying vintage planes.

As the 2010s progressed, Joe McBryan began to step back from day-to-day operations. By 2014, when Ice Pilots ended, Joe was in his late 60s. Officially, he wanted to slow down. Unofficially, those close to the airline began noticing changes. Former employees and family members later reported that Joe’s memory and decision-making were not what they used to be.

In 2016, Joe suffered a significant heart attack. While he recovered physically, many insiders claim that the combination of age, the heart attack, and the stress of running a fragile airline in brutal conditions began to take a toll. This set the stage for the explosion that would follow.