'Draco' to compete in AOPA STOL Invitational

You can watch Draco owner Mike Patey show off the bright red short-takeoff-and-landing airplane during the AOPA STOL Invitational at the Flightline Cookout on Friday evening and during lunch on Saturday. Draco will face off against other STOL airplanes, including a Legend Cub, a Husky, a Kitfox, vintage Cessnas, a Staggerwing, and a Navion.

“We changed the wing. I made it my own airfoil, added 35 square feet of wing area. Changed the flaps, made them bigger. Changed the ailerons, made them bigger [in] depth and length,” Patey told AOPA Live during EAA AirVenture in 2018.

Patey won the heavy class STOL competition at AirVenture in 2018 and then dominated at the 2018 High Sierra STOL Drag fly-in, where he was dubbed the “STOL Drag World Champion.”

So, don’t miss your chance to see Draco in action—come to the AOPA Fly-In at Livermore! In addition to what promises to be a thrilling STOL Invitational, we’ve also lined up several cool attractions during the two-day event: a drone aerial light show, aircraft display, exhibit hall with special deals, educational seminars, two pancake breakfasts, and two chances to attend a Pilot Town Hall with AOPA President Mark Baker.