The Ice Pilots: Flying with the Mavericks of the Great White North

by Michael Vlessides

As seen on TV!

The Ice Pilots follows renegade Arctic airline Buffalo Airways, and pilots who defy the cold and the competition by using WWII era propeller planes likes the DC-3 to haul vital fuel, supplies, and passengers to remote outposts across the world’s last great wilderness. From rookie pilots trying to earn their wings in sometimes hellish conditions to vintage planes that flew over Normandy on D-Day, The Ice Pilots brings its readers on an engaging romp through Arctic skies.

Michael Vlessides braves bone-chilling temperatures, treacherous landings, and iconic owner “Buffalo” Joe McBryan’s famous temper to capture behind-the-scenes stories about the ice pilots, the crew, and the communities they serve. Weaving in history about bush pilots, plane crashes, and the north, he has crafted an entertaining, informative narrative about aviation, the lifeline of this remote world.

Based on the top-rated Ice Pilots NWT television series now airing on The Weather Channel and in 12 countries around the world.

280 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 2011

Reviews

[Majel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* stars for writing, fewer stars for plot. I give the biggest props to Vlessides for being honest about how hard it was to get in with Joe and Rod, and maybe some other folks, and about how his high expectations of being a confidant were not fulfilled, but does justice to their perspectives on why they don't want to get to know him or trust him, and doesn't paint them as sullen or stubborn, rather, as real people with an understandable point of view. The parts I appreciated the most were talking about the things we don't see on the show, like more history on the bush flying of the north, on Joe's mentors and fore-pilots, on Mikey's perspective of the past, present, and future of Buffalo Airways and aviation, on Justin's and Scott's and Mikey's opinion on how the show has impacted their lives. He writes in a way that I can literally hear Joe and Mikey say the words on the page. Vlessides knows Yellowknife, lived there, and I like that he's put in his time and understands this place and these people. What I least appreciated was that, at times, Vlessides retold stories from the show, and not just in a "this thing happened, let me give a bit of description just in case you haven't seen the episode yet" way, but actually retelling details and narrative and things people said about it, like taking the CL-215s to Turkey, firing a rampie from first season who was a bit too grumbly, fighting fires. So, it ends up being difficult to know just what the book was trying to tell us about--Buffalo Airways, of which the show is just one piece of its history, or a behind-the-scenes perspective on things we've seen on the show. For anyone who wants to pick it up, I'd say watch up through Season 3, because he mentions things up to then and you don't want spoilers.

[John Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buffalo Airways is an air company based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada and a TV show was made about the life of this company. This book was written to tie into the series. Though I have never seen the series, the book gave me a sense of the company, the key personalities in it, and a feel for life in Yellowknife. It was a fairly light read and it was possible to read the book without being exposed to the show.

[Graeme Loerke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, especially interesting if you know a little bit about the area. The book focuses more on the life of Bush pilots and northern living than Buffalo Joe in particular

[rabbitprincess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall about what I was expecting, and I enjoyed it. Vlessides spent a few months in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to write a book about the famed Buffalo Airways, subject of the TV show Ice Pilots NWT. But you don't need to be a fan of the show to get something out of this. If you like planes, there are plenty of technical details. If you like the North, and tales of adventure, you'll find some lovely descriptions and entertaining anecdotes. And if you like larger-than-life personalities, this book has them. It even includes side stories on the history of flight in general and anecdotes about the author's own life. The book is written in an entertaining, self-deprecating manner

About the only real criticism I have of this book is that it would have been nice to have a few colour pictures, especially of the Northern Lights, which really do not show up well in black and white. But it is nice to have pictures at all, especially of the planes.

In sum, I'd recommend this book if you like the show it's based on, or if you want a quick introduction to the wonderful world of aviation in the North.

[Jim B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit it, watching Ice Pilots NWT is a guilty pleasure of mine and this book is an equally guilty supplement. Less a history of Buffalo Airways, it is more of a combination of company stories, tales of other northern bush pilots, the author's experiences at Buffalo Airways, and, oddly, his own experience with the North. The book is easy to digest and fun, but made me wish for more depth. While the author's experiences at Buffalo seem germane to the title; especially his interactions with Joe McBryan, his history with the North really doesn't matter to anyone but himself. Additionally, his little history vigenetes of other bush pilots come off as oddly placed as some have no context to the story at all. But the book does provide good insight into the behind the scenes (or is it screen) operations at Buffalo and there are some interesting interviews with Mikey McBryan that show more depth than viewers of the TV show might expect.

[Marie Castellano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I haven't seen it, I understand there is a T V show by the same name. I hope it is as good as this book is. The author shadows various employees of Buffalo Airways as they do their jobs, defying the weather (freezing) and their grueling schedule just below the arctic circle. I have been a passenger in the DC 3, so I enjoyed tremendously the reacquaintance with this workhorse of an airplane and the esteem with which it is held in the far reaches of the Canadian northwest as well as learning about the other WW II prop planes currently being used in the world's remote spots. This is a wonderful peek into the history and lives of bush pilots and arctic survival.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest I've not a fan of the author injecting himself into almost every facet of the story. The times where the authors self narrative fell away and you where left reading stories of some of Canada's bravest pilots who opened up the norther parts of Canada where great. A lot of reading is needed to get to those parts though that wasn't nearly as captivating... I didn't buy a book about Ice Pilots to read about a journalist and why he moved to and out of Yellowknife.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Michael Vlessides finishes talking about himself which takes up too much of the first two chapters, he settles down to give us an honest account of Joe McBryan and the airline he runs.

The book has a nice mix of detail and personality, touching on many of the people who make Buffalo Airways work. This is a good bush pilot read. I recommend it.

[Leeann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the stories of life in the rugged north.