Electric Aircraft Race in the Works  

D.C. – The race is a resumption of the Pulitzer air races first held in the early 1920s. The race winner will be awarded the Pulitzer Trophy, which is now on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. 

Pre-registration is now open for the first Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race, planned for May 2023. The race will be a four-day, 1,000-nm cross-country race beginning in Omaha, Nebraska, and ending near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The race will be open to piloted aircraft of all types, from fixed-wing, helicopters, and multi-rotor eVTOL Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles using zero-emission electric propulsion. 

A cross-country race, rather than a closed-circuit speed event, was selected to emphasize electric aircraft range and reliability, in addition to speed, in a realistic operating environment, according to NAA officials. “A cross-country race will require careful logistical planning from the race teams and highlight different electric propulsion technology choices and operational strategies, such as rapid battery charging, whole battery changes, and solar power augmentation to extend range,” officials explained. “As a long-distance, multi-day cross-country event open to all classes and types of electric aircraft, we have designed the Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race to provide an open canvas for design innovations and be a flying expo for the electric aviation industry.” 

Because many of the competitors may be in a research and development phase and using experimental aircraft, the race will be a day only, Visual Flight Rules (VFR) event, according to organizers. The race winner will be the pilot with the fastest speed calculated from the cumulative flight time, not including time on the ground for maintenance, charging, or overnight stays.