(FS24) Cove Fort/UT to Denver/CO - in the Bush-Monster Draco

[P_7878]

Here is a small airplane, (exclusively offered) in the MSFS2024 a/c line-up, that I've been eyeing for quite some time, but never got to fly. Before I even looked into it and came to know that the "Draco" aircraft is essentially derived from the PZL Wilga model, which is a Polish-made short takeoff and landing (STOL) a/c; the Draco seemed already somewhat familiar to me...as an old friend from the FSX days...🙂...Indeed, you might recall the Aerosoft PZL Wilga X... (harking back to the days when I would look into the Aerosoft website on a regular basis for any new aircraft, which were not only always worth the price...🙂...but also delivered on the fun...).

The Draco X, with a takeoff distance of 100 feet, a climb rate of 4,200 feet per minute, a stall speed of 35 mph, and a landing distance of 80 ft, is a heavily modified and power-boosted version of the PZL Wilga, and indeed a remarkable "Hyper STOL" bush plane. It is the outcome of collaboration between Wilga Company and Mike Patey, a world-renowned pilot from Utah, currently holding five world speed records in planes that he designed, custom built and flew (in 2016, Mike was inducted into the Sport Air Racing League Hall of Fame). The Draco was less familiar in the United States until Patey brought it to the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2018.

In the pictures below, you'll notice the prominent Mike Patey (MP) logo in the cockpit and also on the external fuselage shots. Draco Aircraft, founded 2 years ago in 2023, in Warsaw (PL), notes on its website that Mike Patey "enthusiastically authorized the use of his concepts" to certify the PZL-104 with Patey's (custom) upgrades, including re-designed wings, and installation of a Pratt & Whitney PT6A turbine engine in lieu of the piston powerplant. Moreover, here is a bit of news from just a few weeks ago from Feb. 6, 2025, "Mike Patey's turbine Draco has shown remarkable short-field performance during its brief run in the general aviation spotlight, and a collaboration was announced February 3 between Draco Aircraft and an aeronautical research institute in Poland seeking to accelerate the souped-up Wilga PZL-104 into production."

While reviewing this Draco X which is created in MSFS2024 by Got Friends (one of the earliest (official) partners of Microsoft), I came across many heartening (user) references such as, "Monster Bush Plane", "Flying it is like Waking the Dragon", "Nastiest Plane in MSFS", "Draco X Beast", "Literally the most insane airplane in MSFS", "This is How to Tame the Draco", "Probably the greatest bush plane ever made", "Brilliant", "Amazing", "Fantastic", "Coolest Bush Plane Ever", and "My favorite plane in the SIM"...Oh well...🙂...you get the message. This MSFS Draco X model is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140 engine. The Pratt & Whitney website proclaims the PT6A-140 as, "The Engine of Choice: From Converters to the Ag Market, the New PT6A-140 Engine Series Leads the Pack". This advanced Turboprop outputs (robust) power approaching 1,000 HP (this marking proudly appears on the fuselage in my pictures below, "1000HP MONSTER BUSHPLANE"). You may also note the "PT6A-140 1000 HP" marking on the front nose cone.

OK, enough about the airplane...! The other trigger for this post came to me earlier this week while speaking with an old friend of mine (much younger than me...🙂...). Many moons ago, I had happened to teach this person "driving"...I mean in a car...🙂...He had been actually practicing for a month or so with his learner's permit. Anyway, after an unsuccessful (hasty) attempt to pass the Driver's License Test, he did pass in the second attempt. I recall it was on a Friday morning. Then, that same weekend, I was woken up unexpectedly, Sunday late night, by a phone call from this friend...from somewhere in Utah...! Apparently, without my knowledge (because I would have advised him to drive around by himself, some more, in the local residential neighborhoods and school zones first...🙂...), he had judged himself already proficient enough to embark on a cross-country trip westward all the way to California... (I cannot imagine what he would have done if he had received a pilot's license...🙂...)! On the call, he had informed me that all was OK (I silently thanked the supreme powers), and he just wished to let his (nervous) teacher know that he was currently near Cove Fort, Utah, somewhere on Interstate-70. Cove Fort is where the (~2,200 mile) I-70 freeway, that originates in Baltimore, MD, finally comes to an end (if one is headed for California, one would then have to switch from I-70 to I-15 further onward). I am quite familiar myself with I-70, but mostly to the east of Indianapolis, but not on its western portions.

So, today, I fly my Draco X, departing from Beaver Municipal Airport (U52) in Utah, 25 miles south of Cove Fort (there is no Airport in Cove Fort), flying 400 miles eastward across the spectacular mountains and varied landscapes of Utah and Colorado...all the way to Denver Intl Airport (KDEN). I note that the I-70 freeway that mostly follows a mountainous terrain in this region, finally (and happily) emerges from the Rocky Mountains into the Great Plains just east of Denver city. For my flight, I did not track I-70 but did take aerial notice of it from time-to-time, as the freeway painstakingly makes its way through these mountains (spotted in a few images below). 60 miles west of Denver, in the heart of Rockies, lies the 1.7 miles long Eisenhower Tunnel, carrying the I-70 traffic. At an elevation of 11,158 ft. (also the highest point of entire I-70), this is one of the highest vehicular tunnels in the world (in fact, at its construction time, it was the highest vehicular tunnel in the world). I have attempted to fly over this point to get a visual of it (see a couple of shots below); however, from my high (and safe) altitude of flight, I could not clearly picture the tunnel's entrance (or the exit).

I hope you enjoy this collection of pictures from my trip today, as I fly this unique (modern avionics equipped) bush-plane, that, admirably did rise up to the challenge of my adventure...helping me travel safely across this most remarkable region of the Rocky Mountains range, just as I-70 does. And also, just as I-70, my Draco has descended rapidly from amidst these mountains, to finally land on (mile-high) Denver Airport's eastward ILS Runway 08. I've enabled (aka streamed) the (KDEN) airport scenery by Gaya Simulations, of which I've included one image.

Meanwhile, during my flight, my mind was also drifting back to the long past...thinking a bit about this inhospitable and rugged terrain that I overflew...that my (novice) trainee driver must have once driven through...just the day after receiving his Driver's license...an accomplishment that the teacher himself has never got to do...yet...🙂...

Thanks for viewing this collection of images...! Hope you enjoy...!

[pmplayer]

Fine little AC, thank's for sharing these nice set of shots !

cheers 😉

[P_7878]

8 hours ago, pmplayer said:

Fine little AC, thank's for sharing these nice set of shots !

cheers 😉

Appreciated the feedback, pmplayer.

Glad you liked this (fine) little airplane ...🙂...

[Alaska738]

Nice shots! 😉 

[P_7878]

21 hours ago, Alaska738 said:

Nice shots! 😉 

Will: Thanks for catching this post of mine...🙂...

Cheers ...!

[crosswind]

Love live Draco!!!  Nice set