The Liberty Gazette
January 4, 2022
Ely Air Lines
By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely
Long time air racing friends, twin brothers Mike and Mark Patey, have served their local community for years by working with their county sheriff when search and rescue is needed by air. Over Christmas, they flew a rescue of a different kind.
When airlines cancelled many Christmas flights, Mike Patey posted this message on Facebook: “Over 2,000 flights cancelled today. Mark and I would love to help. If you know someone stuck at an airport and not able to get home for Christmas, maybe we can help. No charge. We can bring a family together for this special holiday.”
The brothers live in Utah. They’d fly Mike’s Pilatus, an airplane with ten seats and a range that would allow them to fully cover seven states, from Wyoming to Southern California, and another three partially, like southeast Oregon and northwest New Mexico. That included major cities such as Denver and Los Angeles.
“Christmas is for family,” said Mike, “born into or ‘chosen’ family, is all the same.”
Both men are high energy and neither needs to sleep much. In fact, they are known for their full-throttle lives. By 10:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, they were heading to Los Angeles to pick up a family who had thought they would be sleeping in the airport when, after several delays, their flight was finally cancelled. They had hoped to find a flight the next day. But Providence shone upon them, and they were whisked away in “Santa Patey’s flying sleigh” and brought home in just two hours.
Many people follow the Pateys on social media, and word got out fast what they were doing. The FBO in Provo, Utah was so moved by their actions that they would not let them pay for fuel. The night continued like that for Mike and Mark, as they blasted through the starry sky uniting loved ones and making new friends in the process, like Brecca and Sergio Ponce. The young couple was celebrating their anniversary, excited to come home for Christmas for the first time in three years when their flight was canceled. They had given up on making it home when a friend shared the Pateys’ social media post.
Brecca called it a “Christmas miracle,” but Mike Patey sees it differently. “If you’ve been blessed with a talent, or a gift, or resources, you better give it back, or you don’t you don’t deserve to have it anymore,” he said. It’s just the way they were raised.
After spending the night delivering happiness, the brothers tucked the airplane back in the hangar and went home to their wives and children to celebrate Christmas.
The Patey brothers are highly successful businessmen, serial entrepreneurs. But we all have been given gifts, and those gifts weren’t meant to be hoarded or kept secret. The One who gave us our gifts is best honored when we give them away. Maybe there’s a New Year’s resolution in that. Here’s to your 2022. May it be your best year yet for giving and receiving.
ElyAirLines.blogspot.com
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