Ice Pilots NWT

The Electra has become Buffalo's winter workhorse – the one plane they need to keep flying. During a High Arctic delivery mission, a 5,000-pound power unit tips off the forklift and crashes to the ground, smashing the fuselage – and sending Mikey into crisis management mode. With no backup Electras, Joe races to Atlantic Airways in Coventry, England on an urgent mission to scoop one up from other potential buyers while back at Buffalo, Mikey tries to prove he's really management material.

It's Joe's 69th birthday and he's never flown a helicopter before. So Mikey plans a special gift of chopper flight lessons, complete with surprise pickup in front of the Buffalo hangar. Mikey jumps in for the ride as Joe struggles with the unfamiliar beast – and both McBryans will learn if they've finally found an aircraft that Joe can't master. Another cold snap has cut off heat and power in a small northern town. AJ and James battle a frozen engine before they can head up with a load of supplies. On the way home, an engine fire forces the crew into an emergency shutdown.

Mikey joins the Canadian Rangers for an extreme outdoor training experience farther north than he's ever been. While he's gone, a military Aurora takes refuge in Buffalo's hangar for important repairs – pushing Buffalo's own mechanics out into the bitter cold. What should be a simple fix turns into a multi-day ordeal and the Air Force has to go head-to-head with Chuck. Joe flies to California to bid on a fleet of firefighting planes that could revolutionize his company. But he discovers he has tougher competition than he ever expected.

Joe's stress over the state of his water bombers, currently being stored in Wales, sparks an angry blow up with Cory, pushing Cory and Rod to head to the UK for urgent repairs. A day of culture in London leaves the hosers cold until they hook up with their British host, Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson. But at Bruce's Welsh facility they run into snags that threaten the work. David flies with Devan in the C-46, hoping to show how much he's learned. But when David badly botches a takeoff, Devan threatens violence. Instead of flying, hotshot Aussie Will gets stuck working on the ramp in Hay River, pushing him to a harsh ultimatum.

Following almost a year of repairs after its crash landing, Buffalo Airways' Electra returns home to take on an urgent mission – returning to the very ice strip that set off the problems last year. It's the ultimate test for the plane and the crew. DC-4 co-pilot Tyler makes a major decision about his future, but now he has to face Joe. A pilot shows up out of the blue – all the way from Australia. Will Dyer has ten times the experience of a normal novice and quickly works to win a seat in a Buffalo cockpit. But the company throws him a curveball that puts his future in doubt.

After a breakdown uses up the last of Joe's spare DC-3 engines, he enlists former Buffalo pilot Devan Brooks to ferry another plane all the way from Quebec. Flying 3,000 kilometres in a DC-3 that's been mothballed for 7 years, Devan faces a critical hydraulic leak at the worst possible moment. As a massive cold snap paralyzes the hangar, a major landing gear problem strikes the nightly passenger flight to Hay River. Captain Justin Simle has to make a snap decision with a full load of passengers on board – including his own newborn son.

Joe preps for a race in an antique snowplane – a 1940s ancestor of the snowmobile, powered by an airplane engine and devoid of brakes. No one knows what will happen when he unleashes it on frozen Great Slave Lake. The water bomber crew, led by Justin and Cory, try to move their two fire-fighting planes from Turkey to a maintenance facility in Wales, but get tangled up in red tape, threatening to ruin their chance of meeting up with Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson. Rampie and cocky aspiring pilot Chris Staples pushes his way onto a C-46 flight, where he makes a critical mistake. AJ makes a last-second overshoot.

Buffalo Airways is still reeling from the recent accident – especially mechanic Chuck. Mikey tries to lift spirits by setting up a hockey shootout against a squad of NHL players that the airline is transporting around the north. He drafts a team and Buffalo's best players – including Chuck – test their shots against Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson. Young DC-3 co-pilot David flies farther north than he's ever been, facing a mysterious landing gear problem on approach to a remote Arctic airstrip. When his captain gets flustered, the rookie has to keep his cool.

Mikey gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he's invited to host a classroom discussion with Commander Chris Hadfield, calling in from the International Space Station. But reality soon hits, when the first blast of a record-cold winter grounds the DC-4, causing a major backup and grief for new cargo manager Chris Staples. When Mikey dispatches the C-46 to save the mission, it suffers a landing gear collapse on the runway, forcing the entire staff to scramble – with no word on the state of the flight crew.

In South Korea, Cory and Justin meet the ship delivering Buffalo's water bomber plane to new buyers there. But the boys are frustrated by the buyers' poor planning. Tempers flare when they try to get the plane off the ship and delivered to its final destination. After taking part in a military paratrooper jump, Mikey brings in fashion model Kate Eaton to join his team for the Frostbite 45 snowshoe marathon.

Buffalo has to get a CL-215 water bomber to buyers in Korea. So Justin and Cory fly the plane to Vancouver Harbour, where it will be hoisted onto a cargo ship sailing across the Pacific Ocean to its destination – a method of delivery no one has ever tried. Flight attendant David is fast-tracked to a seat next to Joe on the DC3 sked. But Joe's been on the warpath, and is known for being hard on rookie copilots.

When South Korean buyers come to Buffalo to look at a water bomber, the pressure is on mechanic Cory to get the plane ready. But a landing gear emergency puts him and chief pilot Justin in serious danger. Rod and Mikey salivate over a fleet of P3 Orion water bombers up for auction at a California fire fighting conference.

Just months from retiring, Electra captain Ray Weber leads his crew on a multi trip mission that requires landing on a rough ice strip on a remote lake. The ice strip landing goes fine, but when the plane takes off from the strip, the right landing gear gets stuck in the wheel well. Ray and his crew try to get the wheel down but to no avail, and are forced to perform an emergency landing that they'll never forget.

A week before Christmas, Buffalo agrees to lend a hand to an RCMP initiative to fly toys to isolated communities in the north. But a series of problems with the Electra leave the company in a jam. An excess of holiday freight overwhelms cargo manager Kelly, and despite a visit from her buddy Arnie Schreder, recovering from his cancer treatment, her stress peaks after a clash with Joe.

After taking command of an intense airlift, and dealing with the ugliest Electra load he's ever seen, Scott takes a scary fall on the icy tarmac. City girl Christine moves to Yellowknife to give the unglamorous rampie life a shot, firebrand mechanic Chuck returns to the Buffalo hangar and immediately stirs the pot, while Joe helps out an old friend, "Ice Road Trucker" Alex Debogorski.

Weighed down by the responsibility of training a new rampie, and struggling to get out of Joe's doghouse, DC3 co-pilot Tyler gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to stunt fly in his Cessna 180 for a visiting film crew. Meanwhile another Buffalo co-pilot, Andrew, is up for a job with Cathay Pacific Airlines. The last time a pilot left, Joe took it personally.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper visits Buffalo Airways; Joe clashes with inspectors; the Electra crew flies to Sachs Harbour for a meaty assignment.

Joe performs stunt landings for a film crew; new employee Ryan tries to prove his worth in Hay River; a dental hygienist gets thrown into the hot seat.

Trying to make his mark at Buffalo, Duane lands two more Electra contracts. But his over-zealous efforts result in a clash with the crew and with Joe, and a down-to-the-wire midnight departure to meet a deadline. Rookie DC-3 co-pilot Tyler discovers that landing the big plane takes practice.

Sparks fly when Joe discovers Gord has taken a job with a rival airline after completing expensive training on one of the Buffalo planes. Larry, a rookie rampie, makes a near fatal error while training on the C-46. A desperate search is launched for elusive C-46 parts.

The Electra flies to Alert, the northernmost settlement on Earth, forcing Adam and new senior manager Duane to work things out. Hay River rampie Tyler is on the fast track to a co-pilot seat, but first has to prove his flying ability to Buffalo's new chief pilot, Justin.

Duane lands a huge contract for the Electra and puts enormous pressure on mechanic Adam to prep the plane without the help of his mentor Chuck. Kelly plans her Mexican wedding, but Jynelle's sudden resignation leaves her in the lurch. The power goes out in Yellowknife, spurring Joe into crisis mode.

When a ferry breakdown causes a gasoline shortage in Yellowknife, new manager Duane begs Chuck to return and prepare the Electra for a fuel haul. Cory leads a clandestine rescue mission to retrieve an abandoned C-46 and Mikey escapes to Ottawa for a birthday joyride in a fighter jet.

Frustrated with her lack of flying and stuck in a rut as a courier driver, Audrey decides her time at Buffalo is over. Devan, Ian and Jimmy deal with a hydraulic fluid leak in the C-46 on the valley run, which forces Jimmy to crawl into the "hell hole" and crank down the landing gear by hand.

Critical of the many stops and starts in the Electra program, and frustrated with the constant drama at Buffalo, Chuck quits. Joe clashes with the maintenance department when a series of delays puts the sale of an old Canso waterbomber in jeopardy. Mikey goes on an ATV hunting trip and Rod babysits his daughter, Emma Rae, while his wife Sasha goes to a wine gala in town.

Buffalo gets into the stunt flying business when veteran pilot Arnie flies the DC-4 for the re-enactment scene of a famous WWII bombing raid. A routine C-46 flight becomes dangerous when a hole in the plane's aging exhaust system sets off the fire alarm, and Devan has to decide whether or not to shut down an engine mid-flight.

Joe hires outsider Duane Hicks to help Buffalo navigate the future and coach Mikey. Gord and Sean's DC-3 delivery mission to the High Arctic goes awry when blizzard conditions and a broken oil cooler force an emergency landing.

Buffalo flies the Stanley Cup on a tour of the North, and a licence suspension has Joe looking for a captain to replace him on the passenger run he’s flown for almost 30 years.

Young pilots AJ and Andrew get the chance of a lifetime to fly the DC-3 mounted on snow skis, and tension mounts across the company as Buffalo’s Mackenzie Valley food mail delivery contract is up for renewal.

A multi-stop mission to the Far North pits Devan, Scott and Adam in an ongoing battle for fuel and oil as they circuit their destinations. Audrey goes on a northern adventure escorting a team of dog mushers to the 2010 Arctic Winter Games.

Crusty mechanic Chuck scrambles to ready the Electra for a mission to the High Arctic, and former rampie Audrey returns to Buffalo and reignites the battle of the sexes.

Buffalo launches an all-out campaign to airlift 100,000lbs of essential goods to cut-off northern communities, Justin helps a Mountie move and expectant parents Rod and Sasha show off their 3D ultrasound.

Mikey goes on a Venezuelan treasure hunt for a rare CL-215 waterbomber, and new pilots Andrew and Graeme face their toughest test yet - flying with irascible boss Joe McBryan.

Roommate pilots Devan and Scott experience a mysterious rise in oil pressure that could destroy one of the C-46's engines. Rookies Andrew and Graeme face the test they've been training for – the chance to get "checked out" as DC-3 co-pilots.

When a deadly fire destroys a northern outpost a week before Christmas, Kelly puts aside her personal dilemmas to rally Buffalo to the rescue. Scott and AJ face an onboard alarm.

Joe fights the feds while Justin and his crew are stranded in the High Arctic.

The Turkey crew makes the critical jump over the North Atlantic. But en route to Portugal, one crew is forced to turn back. With no power on one engine and no way to maintain altitude, they must get back into Santa Maria, where the airport is on full emergency alert. And Mikey and Scott search for a new rampie, while Jeremy's hopes plummet even further.

AJ and Candace get married in the Ice Castle. A frustrated Chuck tries to get the Electra to pay her way. A flummoxed Mikey tries to bake a cake for Joe's birthday. And in Newfoundland, a fuel leak, a sobering survival course and a tragic crash rattle the Turkey crew.

A furious Joe fights against a federal suspension that will prevent him from carrying passengers for the first time in 20 years. It's also a setback for Jeremy and the other rampies, which takes a turn for the worse with an unexpected injury. For the Turkey waterbomber team it's finally a go. Arnie, Justin and the crew set off on the first leg of their journey, a risky trip across Canada in the dead of winter, with no de-icing equipment.

A charter flight falls through the cracks after the McBryans attend a wild family wedding, and an irate Joe pulls captain Justin from the Turkey test flights to do the job. Justin's task is to move an impatient Brit, his dog and all his worldly possessions to a remote northern outpost, but the weather isn't cooperating. Meanwhile, Devan ponders a job offer in Africa - leaving girlfriend Jynelle to ponder their future.

Mechanic Cory races against the clock to turn two short-haul waterbombers into trans-Atlantic aircraft for the epic journey to Turkey. It's up to engineer Adam to get the C-46 crew out of a jam on a remote airstrip in minus 40. And when captain Devan and co-pilot Scott encounter the menace of wind shear at notorious Bear Rock, it's a hair-raising experience that tests their friendship.

When a power failure leaves Rankin Inlet exposed to the brutal northern elements, captain Justin races to deliver an emergency generator. Ramp hand Jeremy tries to move ahead of co-worker Audrey by training a new hire from India to replace him. And when the recession nips at Joe's heels, he tries to broker a $7-million deal that could save Buffalo's hide.

A string of bad luck turns chief pilot Arnie's 66th birthday run into the flight from hell – and threatens to spoil his naughty birthday surprise. Ramp hand Jeremy is desperate to move up the ranks, but a female newbie could throw a wrench in his plans. And after the crew works all night to turn the DC-4 into a flying gas tanker, new co-pilot Alex flies a tricky fuel haul.

Christmas is just around the corner, but Buffalo's crucial food and mail runs come to a halt. An engine seizure strands Scott, AJ and the C-46 plane, creating a chaotic chain reaction. Crusty mechanic Chuck must attempt a bare-handed engine swap in minus 30, and pressure from customers and co-workers pushes cargo manager Kelly to the breaking point.

Rookie co-pilot Scott faces his worst nightmare when a faltering Curtiss C-46 Commando engine and low fog force a scary landing. Ambitious young flyer Alex must prove himself when Buffalo's chief pilot gives him control of the 20-ton Douglas DC-4 for the very first time. And boss' son Mikey gets in hot water when "Buffalo" Joe needs the backup Douglas DC-3 – and it's nowhere near ready.