Mike Patey was born in Gresham, Oregon. He later met his loving wife, Chandra, in Utah where together they raised 2 daughters and 2 sons. Mike and his identical twin brother, Mark, numbers 5 and 6 of 11 children, learned the value of hard work and mutual contribution early on. “Our parents taught us that if you’re blessed with a talent or finances, you must give to others or you don’t deserve it in the first place. We were raised dirt poor but our parents gave anything we had in excess to someone who had less than us.” Mike and Mark were 15 when they launched their first business together, Deck-It, building decks for neighbors in Orem, Utah and grew it into a successful business before they graduated high school.

 

Alongside land development and a rock quarry, Mike and Chandra run multiple businesses including: Ecovap, a waste-water disposal technology which Mike invented and GripLock Ties, rubber-lined zip ties. They also own Trike Industries, where he designs, builds and does rapid prototyping of extreme aircraft for himself and various others, including military. He also donates his time and aircraft for local Search and Rescue missions.

 

Mike’s aviation journey began in 2002 at an air show he attended with his wife and in-laws. During a phone conversation with Mark that evening, they realized a strange “twin moment” had taken place. Each had unwittingly spent the day at small airports in different states and had become inspired to fly. With an immediate purchase of a 1971 Cessna 172 and licenses secured within a couple of months, they officially had wings. The following year, Chandra surprised Mike for his birthday with her own landing at the controls, flight endorsement in hand. Mike went on to earn his multi-engine, instrument, commercial land and sea, and rotor-wing ratings. He and his wife currently fly a variety of aircraft.

 

From drag cars to off-road hill climbs and airplanes, Mike has always been driven to race. He holds multiple world speed records with more that he is excited to pursue. His aircraft builds include: RV10, CompAir 8, Epic LT, two Lancair Legacys (piston and turbine), and 3 signature designs “Turbulence”, “Draco”, and his latest, “Scrappy” - a bush plane featuring Mike’s own transforming airfoil, solar power covered wings, dynamic controllable suspension and 2 eBike motorcycles attached under each wing.

 

Mike’s enthusiasm is infectious. His passion for aviation is obvious in his YouTube videos, at air shows, and with any personal interaction. He has inspired many to pursue their dreams of flight and personal aircraft construction. His tagline, “Back to Work,” is often repeated in his videos and echoed among fans. “I use it for my life in general. It means to get after something, give your all, enjoy the process, and work hard.” A mantra Mike truly lives by.