Ep 10. Race Against the Melt

In season 1 episode 10 of Ice Pilots, titled Race Against the Melt, the enduring winter in Canada’s Northwest Territories is slowly turning into spring. For the pilots and mechanics at Buffalo Airways, this means facing a new set of challenges as they scramble to prepare their planes for the upcoming warmer months.

The episode opens with a familiar character to fans of the show, Mikey McBryan, Buffalo Airways’ chief pilot. For McBryan, the change in seasons means less time in the cockpit and more time in the office. He is tasked with organizing and managing the pilots’ schedules for the rest of the year. Juggling the different flight schedules and fitting everything into a still volatile weather pattern is no easy feat. As he sifts through the piles of paperwork, he reflects on the challenges and rewards of his job as chief pilot of Buffalo Air.

Meanwhile, Joe McBryan, the owner of Buffalo Airways, faces a major challenge. Spring is also the time when mining operations in the area shut down due to the melting ice roads. This means that the airline’s primary source of revenue will dry up until the roads freeze again in the fall. In order to stay afloat, Joe decides to branch out into a new line of business, offering sightseeing tours of the area. The theory is that tourists, attracted by the Northern Lights and the region’s spectacular rugged terrain, will be willing to pay for a flight.

To prepare for this new line of business, Buffalo Airways needs to reconfigure one of its planes. The work falls to veteran mechanic Chuck Adams, who sets to work replacing the seats in one of the company’s DC-3s with large, panoramic windows. The idea is to give tourists an unparalleled view of the landscape, which is a rugged, almost untouched wilderness. During the refit, Chuck’s experience proves invaluable, and the team races against the clock to finish the project in time for Joe’s impending deadline. Feeling the pressure, Chuck barely has enough time to complete the job as the plane is prepped for its maiden flight.

At the same time, another mechanic, AJ, is tasked with repairing an engine on a DC-4. The work required is extensive, and with the plane scheduled for an important flight, there’s no room for errors. AJ is a rookie, but with the engine taken apart and a mechanic on the other end of the phone guiding him through the process, he works long into the night to get the job done as quickly as possible.

One of the highlights of the episode is the filming of a new commercial for Buffalo Airways, featuring one of its DC-3s. The idea is to showcase the plane’s new panoramic view windows, and a nervous sales team from the local tourism board watches on as the plane takes off from the ice runway. Despite some initial concerns about how the shoot will go, the crew captures some stunning images of the plane flying over the pristine, snow-covered wilderness.

In the end, spring may be a time of uncertainty for the pilots and mechanics at Buffalo Airways, but they are up for the challenge. Whether it’s adapting to new lines of business or repairing engines in the dead of night, these pilots and crew members always pull together to get the job done. As they say in the show, it’s all part of the adventure.