The long answer involves a lesson in resilience. Joe McBryan represents a generation of bush pilots who thought they were invincible. His illness reminded the world that even legends are human.

While he may no longer be throwing DC-4s around the Arctic sky, his spirit remains the engine of Buffalo Airways. The 2020-2021 health crisis was the closest call of his 50-year career, but as of today, "Buffalo Joe" is alive, recovering, and still swearing.

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. The major event that prompted the question "what happened to Joe McBryan" occurred in December 2020 .

But in recent years, the question echoing through aviation forums and social media has shifted from "Is Buffalo Airways still flying?" to a more urgent query:

In the video, with his characteristic dry wit, Joe said: “I’m not dead yet. It’s going to take more than a bug to stop me.”