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“Buffalo” Joe McBryan

President & Captain

67 years old

Seasons: 1, 2 & 3

"If you really want to experience flight in this life then you have to strap a DC-3 to your ass."

Joe remembers the days in the North when, as a young bush pilot, he could trade a bag of oranges and a head of lettuce for accommodation because fresh produce was so scarce. Today his airline, Buffalo Airways, supplies the North with fresh produce by the planeload. But this northern aviation legend reluctantly faces a new era as shortages of parts and avgas threaten to ground his fleet of “piston pounders” for good. With a vast collection of vintage planes and parts, Joe is the custodian of an aviation era, and he's as reluctant to retire his working warbirds as he is to retire himself. The next generation of McBryans has shown little interest in taking over the family business. So Joe hangs on to the controls, hopeful that his kids will soon have a change of heart and step up to guide Buffalo into the future – a future of jet powered, computer-run aircraft that Joe can't bring himself to embrace.

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