Who payed the critics

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

This is clearly a show for aviation enthusiasts, and particularly for that specific subset of those enthusiasts who really like older (rotary engine) aircraft. I am, and I do, so I am positively biased. Honestly, it is probably not the best viewing choice for people who don't understand or appreciate that mindset. The show also offers an example of how many people make their living, and the effort they put forward, the hardships they endure, and the sacrifices that they make, to earn that living. It possibly could serve as a lesson for many young people, although I doubt that those who might benefit from such a lesson are included in the target demographic for the show. :) This series is not a video game, and may not be appealing to them.Any reality show must rely on a certain level of artificial drama, and Ice Pilots NWT is no exception. At times, the contrived drama is a bit much. But, the reality of the flying, business, social and personal environments nonetheless comes through. I, for one, am delighted that such an airline can continue to function, and not be squeezed out of existence by needless, and oppressive regulation. Frankly, I would consider it money well spent to travel all the way to Yellowknife, just to take a flight on the 'sched'. I love flying on DC-3's anyway.I agree with other reviewers, that Joe McBryan would not be a boss that I would ever care to work for. Or, for that matter, a pilot with whom I would care to share a cockpit as a right-seater. But, guess what? It is a REALITY SHOW, and I think viewers are seeing a taste of reality - I seriously doubt McBryan put on an affect just for the cameras, while in 'real life' he is a tender, thoughtful, considerate manager, who regularly gives hugs to his employees. Unfortunately, I have seen more than a few instances where regulatory agencies such as the FAA (and TC), not infrequently populated by a number of overzealous bureaucrats, target individuals such as a Joe McBryan because they just can't stand the notion of the kind of independence he displays (rightly or wrongly). Don't misunderstand, I have high regard for many things that the FAA does, particularly their aviation safety education initiatives. But, people like Joe McBryan do rub some regulators the wrong way, and they respond inappropriately (and unfairly at times). There are only so many unique and broadly interesting situations that such an operation faces that can be turned into dramatic moments for a show such as this, after which repetition inevitably sets in. But, the seasons that were produced are nonetheless well worth watching.

I love aviation and enjoy much of this series. Grew up around airplanes, friends & family are pilots. Most of the people in aviation where I'm from are pretty good people. I guess Joe is up North because nobody in the South will put up with him, he's gotta be the worst boss I've ever seen, no wonder all the pilots and maintenance guys leave as soon as they have enough hours. That guy should have learned by now that you can't treat people like that when the live in a cold, boring, isolated place in the middle of nowhere, if work sucks, there's no reason to stay. I like the show, but can't stand listening to all the drama, peoples personal problems, "buffalo is my family" etc... Seeing the old planes fly & get repaired is interesting. Watching Mike do nothing but cost the company money and screw around... really infuriating, especially when you see good employees busting their hump to get the business to make money, get crapped on by Joe, while his family does whatever they want. What a horrible, hostile, dysfunctional workplace. I'm surprised anyone would apply to work at Buffalo after watching this TV show! it definitely doesn't promote the company. More attention should be on the planes and waaaaay less on all the peoples problems that work there, and get Joe off camera!!! my goodness, I want to fly up there just to punch that guy every time I see him being a grouch on the show!

This series is like many of the other airline/airport based reality series one sees on TV. What sets it apart is the fact that the airline in question flies vintage aircraft, and operates in one of the more hostile climate regions of the world. The characters all say they are there because this is what appeals to them, but after a while their constant reaffirmation of why they do what they do, becomes annoying. They are not always there for altruistic reasons. Some are seemingly there because it makes them feel all important in their positions. Most seem to live in fear of the company's owner.There are now more modern aircraft that can do this job in the far Canadian North, and there seems to be little point in maintaining a fleet of old war-birds that constantly break down, impacting the flow of traffic and cargo,and which must impact the viability of any business. While the series does provide entertainment for an aviation buff like myself, researching the company's history on the net was also equally entertaining. It would appear as if they have been grounded numerous times by the Air Transport Board of Canada for safety violations, and crashes they have had, to the point where they no longer appear to be allowed to carry passengers on their flights.I think what keeps people watching this is to see the old planes in the air, and the constant "can-do" attitude of the characters who try to keep the operation together with fanatical zeal, and a lot of improvisation! While this is admirable in many ways, it certainly is not a method that employs operational processes that would meet the safety regulations in a modern world. It is not representative of a good way to run a successful business.By series 5, it was clear that the end was in sight! The events became too repetitive, and there seemed to be a need to create fake drama where there was none. It just seemed to become that much less interesting to watch.All in all, watch it for what it is, old planes, grizzled old pilots and mechanics,young pilots fresh out of flying school who are looking for excitement, and insight into the very harsh way of life that people have to endure, living above the arctic circle!

I stuck with turkey for six episodes, waiting for it to take flight and get interesting. After all, it's Canadian, and I always try to give homegrown fare an even break. Unfortunately it seems nothing really worth paying attention is likely to happen in the video annals of Buffalo Airways.About half of the action revolves around the numerous mechanical failures that will inevitably go hand-in-glove with trying to operate an airline around a fleet of flying dinosaurs (so maybe buy some newer planes, already???) Then, to run out the clock, the producers drop in a bunch of filler footage that attempts to trump very routine and mundane workaday challenges into some sort of high Arctic drama. (The airport is fogged in, so a cargo flight is delayed, so a shopkeeper in a remote settlement gets a tad antsy about his shipment of cabbages and Cheetos. Riveting stuff.) The one time we saw the potential for some real drama -- when an isolated community a couple thousand miles off the power grid suddenly found itself in desperate need of a replacement for a failed diesel-electric genset -- our heroes, unsurprisingly, muffed the job. While the intrepid Buffaloons -- apparently not learned in the ways of the tape measure -- fumbled around on the tarmac for hours trying to insert a too-large generator through a too-small aircraft cargo door, a rival carrier flew to the rescue with another generator unit and saved the community from the cold and dark of the Arctic winter. (Candidly, I'm amazed that a capital-L-Loser incident like that made it to air. The producers must really have been strapped for enough material to fill their contracted number of episodes.) There seems to be an unspoken intimation that we should somehow equate the company's squadron of junk-jockeys with Canada's legendary bush-pilots, whose courage and persistence helped to open up transportation and communication lifelines to the farthest reaches of our huge country seven, eight, nine decades ago. That's more than a bit of a stretch, though, as Buffalo's pilots work short hours in heated cockpits with (surprisingly) modern navigation equipment at their fingertips, and they get to enjoy with warm beds, hot meals, plasma TVs and Nintendo when the wheels are down. And if conditions outside are a tad too nasty for comfy flying, well these guys can just sit around til the sky turns a bit bluer.The show's name makes it plain enough that this is an attempt to cash in on the success of Ice Road Truckers; however a cloned TV series -- like warmed-over pizza -- is rarely very tasty. The generous helping of unblanked profanity served up in each episode only serves to underscore the fact that this series will probably only have any significant audience rating by appealing to the lowest common denominator. You'll be better served watching reruns of Trailer Park Boys instead, because if nothing else that series was at least original.(I give this show two stars instead of one only because the narrator sounds good and does his gallant best to create a bit of drama and suspense where none exists.)