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Arctic Air

4K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  Bayguy 
#1 ·
I thought the first episode was pretty good. The photography was excellent and the actors were quite believable. It reminded me of the reality show "Ice Pilots" e.g. a crusty old curmudgeon who owns an airline that flies prospectors and their equipment into Arctic airports and landing strips. They even have a DC3 and a wise old mechanic that reminded me of Chuck that used to be on "Ice Pilots". I haven't seen "Flying Wild Alaska" yet which is another reality show about modern bush pilots flying in the Arctic.
I wonder if the producers of "Arctic Air" borrowed the DC3 from Buffalo Airways that was used in tonight's show as there aren't too many still flying in Canada.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the info, faston! When one of the DC3 engines quit running, I recalled the same event happening at least once or twice on "Ice Pilots". They even used the term "rampies" that also was frequently mentioned on "Ice Pilots". I guess we can expect more "Ice Pilot" scenarios in the future.
I'm pleased that they filmed the show rather than use HD video cameras as it shows how spectacular the scenery is in the Far North during the summer.
 
#5 ·
Rampies is a generic term in Yellowknife for guys who load planes, or at least at First Air, Canadian North or any of the other local airlines (That's what we called them) And considering Mikey tweeted that he was sitting with Adam Beach at the premiere in Vancouver I highly doubt any lawsuits are forthcoming. More likely they are consulting on the show.
 
#6 ·
Yeah, definitely seems inspired by Ice Pilots. The father seems a lot like Buffalo Joe in his attitude, and some other characters as pointed out before like the mechanic do remind me of the ones on Ice Pilots. I wonder if some like Mikey or Buffalo Joe will end up having cameos.
 
#7 ·
Is this show actually shot in the NWT? I briefly saw another plane that said, "Newfoundland and Labrador" on it's side. And, as someone who's traveled extensively throughout N&L, the terrain could easily be from that province.

As for the show itself, I thought it was okay. Though it apparently did well in the numbers: Well over 1M viewers (which is great for a Canadian show and network). Kirstine Stewart of the CBC has been saying on Twitter that the show had the best opening of any show on CBC for the past 20 years.
 
#8 ·
The plane you saw with Newfoundland and Labrador on it could be one of the two water bombers Bufflao bought from them last summer. The white striped beaver plane was Arctic Sunwest's. The red and white DC3 was either cgi or is from somewhere else. I have never seen it at this airport.

The airport shot and most of the downtown shots were here in YK as well as the over head shots. The inside of the strip bar was not in Yellowknife. I think the Arctic Air office shots were done in one of the old diamond cutting offices that the Gov't has up for sale. The hanger shots were in Buffalo's hanger I think too.

In the opening scene it seemed funny that they exited the arrivals doors instead of departures doors. They guy also looked on talking about yellowknife like he was looking at it but the City is a couple kms away in the other direction. But I guess most people wouldn't know that.
 
#9 ·
Buffalo Air leased a couple of water bombers for firefighting last summer from Newfoundland & Labrador so it was probably one of those that you saw.

Also, reidw, there ain't going to be any lawsuit. As I wrote just above you, both properties are owned by the same production company and if anything Buffalo is thrilled to have their story be even more widely known. Mikey and Joe are rockstars in the aviation world because of the show and, believe me, they enjoy it! Did you see the Osh Kosh airshow episode last year? Everybody knew them even though the show doesn't even air in the states.

Edit: AFF got in before me with the waterbomber info.
 
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