Chuck Adams Jeff Schroeder Sean Barry Scott Blue Devan Brooks Gord Cooling Corey Dodd Jynelle Glenn Duane Hicks Joe McBryan Mikey McBryan Justin Simle Arnie Schreder Kelly Jurasevich AJ Decoste Jeremy Dow Audrey Marchand Wilf Darr Ray Weber
Ice Pilots premiered on November 18, 2009.[3] The show was renewed for a second season with filming completed on August 2, 2010. The season premiere was aired on History Television January 12, 2011. Season 3 was greenlit on August 18, 2010, and began airing on October 12, 2011.[4] In the UK, series 2 was shown on Quest commencing May 2011. The episodes in season 4 have been shown on the Discovery Channel in the UK.[1] Season 1 of Ice Pilots began airing on the National Geographic Channel in the US on April 22, 2011. Both Season 1 and 2 have aired in Australia on National Geographic Channel and National Geographic Channel HD, and currently air on the digital channel 7 Mate.[5]
On February 2, 2012 The Weather Channel announced that it was adding Ice Pilots to its primetime lineup. On March 5, 2012, the show started airing on The Weather Channel, starting with seasons 1 and 2.[6]
The National Geographic Channel no longer airs the show regularly, though it does occasionally broadcast episodes.[when?]
Ice Pilots NWT has been recognized with two Gemini Awards in 2011 for Best Original Music for a Lifestyle/Practical Information or Reality Program or Series and Best Photography in an Information Program or Series.[7]
On July 27, 2012, Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, flew up from Edmonton to Yellowknife with Buffalo Airways. On July 28, Dickinson, who holds an airline transport pilot's license, flew a Douglas DC3 to Yellowknife and spent a day being filmed as a guest star for a season four episode.[8]
On September 24, 2013, the Ice Pilots NWT Facebook page aired the first season 5 trailer, as well as the season 5 premiere date of October 23, 2013.
On January 15, 2014, the season 6 production was announced. Promos for season six stated that it would be the final season. It premiered on October 29, 2014. The final episode aired on December 17, 2014. The final episode covered a parachute jump over the D-Day remembrance period of June 2014.[9]
As of June 2023, it can be watched on Pluto TV.[10]
Cast
The cast/crew of Ice Pilots NWT consists of the following people:[11]
Person
Role
Seasons
Notes
Chuck Adams
Mechanic/in-flight engineer
1 – 6
Resigned from Buffalo early in season 3 but returned in season 4
David Alexandre
First Officer
3 – 6
DC-3, C-46 and Electra Co-Pilot
Sean Barry
First Officer
1 – 4
Resigned from Buffalo in season 4 to work for First Air. Electra and DC-4 Co-Pilot
Scott Blue
First Officer
1 – 5
C-46 and CL215 Co-Pilot, Electra Flight Engineer
Ian Bottomley
Captain
1, 4, 6
DC-3 Captain, C-46 Co-Pilot
Devan Brooks
Captain
1 – 6
Resigned from Buffalo after season 4 for farm work in Ontario, but returned to Buffalo in season 5 for contracted operations. C-46, DC-3, and DC-4 Captain
Gord Cooling
Captain
1 – 3
Resigned from Buffalo and joined First Air. DC-3 and C-46 Captain.
AJ Decoste
Chief Pilot
1 – 6
Succeeded Justin Simle as Chief Pilot in season 6. DC-3, C-46, DC-4 and Electra Captain.
Corey Dodd
CL-215 lead engineer
1 – 6
Trained to become an Electra flight engineer in season 6
Jeremy Dow
Ramp hand
1
Laid off after season 1 taping
Jules D'Souza
Ramp hand
3
Resigned late in season 3 and joined Wabusk Air
Laurent Dussault
Ramp hand and co-pilot
3
C-46 Co-Pilot
James Dwojak
Aircraft engineer AME
1 – 6
Cliff Dyson
Mechanic/in-flight engineer
2 – 6
Jim Essery
Mechanic
1 – 3
Featured in season 3 episode 11. Died on September 1, 2012, in a drowning accident[12]
Graeme Ferguson
Ramp hand and co-pilot
2 – 6
DC-3, DC-4 and Electra Co-Pilot
Jynelle Glenn
Courier manager
1 – 3, 5
Married to Devan Brooks (have a child in season 4), resigned early in season 3; made an appearance in season 5 visiting Yellowknife with their son
Brian Harrison
Captain
1 – 6
Electra Captain
Duane Hicks
Senior manager
3 – 4
Finished at Buffalo late in season 3; assisted Mike McBryan in season 4 during an auction.
Kelly Jurasevich
Cargo manager
1 – 4
Resigned from Buffalo in season 4. Died on January 10, 2017.[13]
Audrey Marchand
Ramp hand and co-pilot
1 – 3, 5
Resigned early in season 3 to work as a Westjet cabin crew member (eventually worked at Air Creebec); co-piloted a DC-3 with Devan Brooks to Buffalo's maintenance facility in Red Deer, Alberta in season 5 after getting a few days off her job
Joe McBryan
President of Buffalo Airways and captain
1 – 6
Kathy McBryan
Hay River manager
2 – 6
Middle child of Joe McBryan
Mike McBryan
General manager
1 – 6
Youngest child of Joe McBryan
Rod McBryan
Director of maintenance/ Accountable Executive
1 – 6
Oldest child of Joe McBryan; became Buffalo's accountable executive (in charge of ensuring the airline adheres to all Transport Canada regulations), taking over from his father
Christine Povey
Co-pilot and Ramp hand
4 – 5
Trialed at Buffalo in season 4 after quitting her job as a dental assistant back in Toronto; returned to Buffalo on a full-time basis in season 5
Arnie Schreder
Former Chief Pilot
1 – 4
Retired late in season 2, but returned in seasons 3 and 4. Died on May 5, 2012, of small-cell lung cancer[14]
Justin Simle
Chief Pilot
1 – 5
Became Chief Pilot in season 3 after Arnie Schreder's retirement; left Buffalo after season 5 to start his own airline. DC-3, DC-4 and CL215 Captain.
Tyler Sipos
Ramp hand
3 – 5
Resigned from Buffalo in season 5 to fly for Air Georgian
Adam Smith
Mechanic/in-flight engineer
1 – 6
Sophie the Dog
Mascot and co-pilot
1 – 6
Died in season 6
Raman Srivastava
Ramp hand
1
Resigned during season 1 to return home to India
Chris Staples
Cargo Manager / Apprenticing Mechanic / First Officer
Seasons 1 through 5 each have 13 episodes. Season 6 only has 8. It was explained that season 6 has fewer episodes than other seasons because the filming decision for a season 6 was made later than the others, leading to less footage and materials being available.[15]
