For the first time in 100 years, the Pulitzer Trophy was awarded to a flight team, and for the first time to a team flying an electric aircraft.
Since the Air Race itself was spread over a 50 mile course, spectators could only view the participating aircraft when they departed, passed overhead at the end of one lap of the course, and landed at the end of the race. This is similar to a longer run for Green Flight Challenge aircraft in 2011. Spectotors at the Pulitzer Trophy Race would have seen the aircraft a similar number of times, allowing for time to visit the static displays, which included an Opener Blackfly (now called a Pivotal Helix) and a Beta Alia.
The event seen in this video was bigger than the small crowd shown, with different groups competing a worldwide series of simulated flights on personal computers. Middle and high school students, “along with
aviation-focused youth organizations,” participated, using X-Plane provided software with a Flight Code-X designed Pulitzer Trophy Race plugin.
This virtual and vicarious sharing of the actual race is one creative way in which race organizers used communications networks to expand the “messages” the race could promote. As noted by Scott Neumann, race director for the event. Neumann explained the purpose of the race itself was to provide more exposure of electric aircraft to the public to garner a wider acceptance of the type. He added that another goal of the race was to illustrate to the public that electric aeroplanes are a safe and reliable means of travel. Aerospaceglobalnews.com explained Neumann , “Neumann is a former US Air Force test pilot and the president of the Astronautics Records Commission for IAF, the Federation Aéronautique Internationale.
The Winners
The three electric aircraft that took part in the event included BETA Technologies’ Alia CX300, flown by Human Factors Engineer, Flight Instructor, and Ferry Pilot at BETA Technologies, Tyler Prather.
AIN.com reported to following results. “Seven teams entered the race, with six each flying two-seat Pipistrel Velis Electro trainers and one with the six-seat Beta Technologies CX300. The CX300, flown by Tyler Prather, recorded the fastest time on the triangular 44-mile course with a time of 19 minutes 50 seconds and an average speed of 132.97 knots. Taking the silver and bronze positions were, respectively, Jakki Galella whose Electro recorded a time of 26 minutes 38 second (99.85 knots) and Henry Stanley with 28 minutes 56 seconds (91.91 knots).”
Those may not seem like exceptional speeds, but the initial Pulitzer races 100 years ago more than doubled the first race’s speeds in only four years. We can probably look forward to Formula E speeds soon, or those of the Rolls-Royce Accel racer.
A Big Ceremony in Washington, D. C.
The awards ceremony moved to the nation’s capitol, with LinkedIn reporting, “Congratulations to the winners of the Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race! 🏆 We were proud to fund the medallions presented at the 2025 National Aeronautic Association Fall Awards at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., with NAHA board member and NAA President & CEO, Amy Spowart, joining the presentation.
Winners of the first Pulitzer Trophy Air Race in 100 years were celebrated at the National Press Club in Washington, D. C.
The inaugural race, organized by the Advanced Air Mobility Institute at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, home to the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE), was a huge success, with 22 race-related sorties and three new world records. One hundred years after the original Pulitzer Trophy Races, the event celebrated the promise of electric aviation and Ohio’s long tradition of innovation in flight.
A louder, more conventional aircraft chased behind the electric lineup to give a clear aural comparison to the crowd of onlookers.
STEMinar
A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) seminar was part of the air race activinties on October 10. A true international event, the STEMinar was hosted by Athena Browning, in London with ZAG Daily (a ) and Lucas Langhals, in Ohio with Marysville High School. Featured guests included Dan Sloat and Ted Angel, with the AAM Institute and NAAMCE; Carl Dietrich, CEO of Jump Aero in California; Dave Merrill, Founder of Elroy Air; Gloria Bouillon, Founder of Aviatrice Advisors and one of the Trophy Race pilots, and Yves Morier & Dunia Abboud, in Germany. Each gave a 20-minute presentation to the virtual audience.
The National Advanced Air Mobility Industry Forum
Held in conjunction with the air race, October 14 and 15 marked the National Nationak Advanced Air Mobility Industry Forum, with first day morning workskhops on AAM Sustainability, hybrid power, eVTOL operations, and AM infrastructure. Note one grievous error fact checkers should have noted. The reporter says the Wrights made their first flight at Huffman Prairie, near Dayton, Ohio. The boys made the first flight from Kill Devil Hill, on the sands of North Carolina.
Ohio state promoters promised, “Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) will revolutionize the way we travel and transport goods, from military capability to organ transport. The National Advanced Air Mobility Industry Forum (NAAMIF) will bring together manufacturers and suppliers from across the AAM industry for networking, workshops, keynote presentations, static displays, and demonstrations.”
Lunch featured lunch, exhibitss and talks on AAM in higher education research andf training and the current status of AAM. Following,,moringing workshops concluded.
October 15 sessions finalized the workshops and ended with lunch and a final chance to view exhibits.
All in all, the series of races and supporting events had worldwide appeal and drew more than the small crowds for the actual Trophy Race. It will be interesting to see what these events achieve in the future.