HAY RIVER - Although he admits he previously didn't know anything about reality TV, Joe McBryan is now part of it.

Gord Cooling, a pilot with Buffalo Airways, holds one of the specially made T-shirts for the Nov. 18 premiere of 'Ice Pilots NWT' in Hay River. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

McBryan, the president of Buffalo Airways, joined many Hay River residents on Nov. 18 for the premiere showings of Ice Pilots NWT at the movie theatre.

It was his first time seeing a full episode of the 13-part series about his company, which is being broadcast in Canada on the History Television Network.

"It's a real good look at the North and a real good look at how the young fellows operate the airplanes in extreme cold weather conditions like we have," he said.

Residents of Hay River - the headquarters of Buffalo Airways - were also obviously impressed with the first episode of the slickly-produced series.

The crowd at the first screening would often laugh and cheer in delight as a recognizable face appeared on the screen.

"I thought the show was very good," said Jean Carter, who is a retired local legend in the aviation business.

"I said to my daughter, 'That's aviation,'" Carter said. "A lot of things go on up in the air and on the ground that people don't see. I do feel the operators work very hard to make sure it's safe, although you have experiences like this. It does happen, but you're just trained to be able to cope with these situations."

She was referring to one scene in which pilots deal with a faltering engine during a difficult landing.

There were many other aspects of the fast-paced show, including the arrival of a new pilot, a tense situation in getting a scheduled run from Yellowknife to Hay River off on time, and the introduction of McBryan - better known as Buffalo Joe - as a tough boss.

McBryan admits his portrayal is accurate.

"Yeah, I guess I can be a little cranky if I'm late," he said.

However, much of the first show was taken up with introducing Buffalo Airways' Second World War era planes - the DC-3, the DC-4 and the C-46.

Hay River Mayor Kelly Schofield said he thought the show was fabulous.

"It was very exciting," he said.

The mayor also offered congratulations to the McBryan family, adding Hay River has a lot of pride in a homegrown business being the focus of a national TV show.

"It's a one-of-a-kind opportunity for these people," he said. "It's a great thing."

McBryan said he started watching 'Ice Road Truckers' after filming started for 'Ice Pilots NWT' to learn about reality TV.

"I didn't know what reality TV was," he said "The only thing I've ever watched in my life was Archie Bunker. I never had time to watch TV."

McBryan also doesn't accept the suggestion that he is now a reality TV star.

"The public will pick their favourites and the stars," he said. "We won't."

McBryan, who started his company in 1970 in Fort Smith, said the show depicts the everyday life of Buffalo Airways.

"I didn't see anything in that film that was staged," he said.

McBryan believes the show will be good for both his company and the NWT.

"It definitely can't be bad," he said, adding the series will show the world what the North looks like from a camera on an airplane and will introduce the North's different peoples and cultures.

"I expect we'll get a lot of positive feedback worldwide because it'll show in many countries for many years," he said. "If we do get any negative feedback, well, it will definitely be ignored."

McBryan gave producers his thumbs-up to begin shooting last year. A six-person crew with Vancouver-based Omni Film Production arrived in November 2008 and wrapped this past August.

"I thought of it as a hello and tribute to all the people who have worked here," McBryan said.

"Each and every one of them has contributed to the success in some way."

The presence of the filmmakers on the flights and in the hangars didn't cause any disruption, he said.

"They are very nice people, not that I think people are nice," he said. "But it wasn't my idea to bring them."

Credit for the initiative goes to Joe's son, Buffalo Airways general manager Mikey McBryan.

"We all turn 25 with a dream, so why not let him do it," Joe said of his decision to let his son pursue the project. "Mikey put a massive amount of time and effort into it and he has the personality and disposition to succeed at it."

It all started when Globe and Mail reporter Patrick White interviewed Mikey and a few employees for a feature in 2007.

Omni producer David Gullason read the piece and called Mikey, who hopped on the first flight to Vancouver to talk about the idea of a new series.

Last week, Mikey was being chauffeured around Toronto from interview to interview to talk about the show, which has become a reality.