I had a special invitation to Reno Air Races by COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE VIP CHALET for the final day of the races- Sunday. With that invitation, my wife and I saddled up and drove down for the last two days of the show.
I had the opportunity to finally see DRACO ad meet Mike Pately and his charming wife also an accomplished pilot.... what a BEAST of a back country airplane....IMPRESSIVE!!

We had a fantastic time with CAF, and also was hosted up to Pylon 3 for the final Jet heat and the GOLD heat....heavy winds and blowing dust that day too....what a Heart THROB!!

Sadly on departure on Monday...a big storm front was coming in from the South West and Mike pushed to head home......

Here is his follow up YouTube which includes a video of the takeoff and roll over....fortunately Mike, his wife and friend in the back were NOT injured...but DRACO "totaled"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfctWAoDXvs

Crap. Draco was a very special one of a kind aircraft. Saw several videos on it.

Glad everyone is ok.

Thanks for posting this.

What a shame, but willing to bet dollars to doughnuts Mike Patey steps up work on Scrappey to amaze us with his next creation! An extremely talented & driven individual with a passion for what he does that makes him a standout in that community!

m4220

A good man for our times.

I do believe that "Gethomeitis" or "Getthereitis" are the most dangerous things that pilots face.

Watched all the videos of the build and modifications and do not think I will be able to watch one of the planes destruction.

YUP, TC...right on, and he admits it in his follow up YouTube!! He had trouble taxiing in the wind, and should have aborted or taxied to the other runway which wind was more favorable, on the nose...but still gusting over 35kts!!
We were also leaving Reno and headed up 395 at the time of the accident...the wind and rain storms we were encountering were really unusual and fierce..and we were driving!!
I am wondering if he will engage in the painful task of a full restoration?? Time will tell??
Cheers,

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:
I do believe that "Gethomeitis" or "Getthereitis" are the most dangerous things that pilots face.
.

Or as we used to say in the Squadron:
"All dick, balls, and no forehead..."

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:
I do believe that "Gethomeitis" or "Getthereitis" are the most dangerous things that pilots face.

Watched all the videos of the build and modifications and do not think I will be able to watch one of the planes destruction.

Yup. I worked at Godfrey field for a while and a guy came in out of the blue and asked if one of our trainers could fly him IFR to his destination, the weather had turned during the day and he was VFR only. Our folks said, “no way” for various reasons and recommended the guy stay over until the weather cleared. The last thing he said was, “I’ve got LORAN, I’ll be fine.” And headed out. About 3 hours later we got word he augured in, nose first about 1/2 mile from his destination airport.

The Good Lord must’ve been looking down on him to have been walking around after that crash.

As an aside, would the engine be salvageable?

sad news, and totally avoidable

Yes, he states so in the after-video!!
We were driving out of Reno at same time and were having a "difficult time" in heavy gusty winds and heavy rain showers...

Well, there is word from Mike Patey that DRACO will live again....there is a YouTube out there in the last few days where Mike announces..."it's not so bad as I thought..."
Cheers,

I have been oogling a Cessna 206 Conversion with a PT-6... I asked the guru who does the conversions about prop strikes with a turboprop... he says the main damage is done to the gearbox and must be totally rebuilt. On the PT-6 also if the exhaust stack is bent badly it can contact one of the turbine wheels...then you are facing much more turbine damage...lets hope not for Mike's sake!!
Let DRACO Live Again!!