The National Air Races (also known as Pulitzer Trophy Races) are a series of pylon and cross-country races that have taken place in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

since 1920. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew rapidly during this period; the National Air Races were both a proving ground and showcase for this.

History

In 1920, publisher

Ralph Pulitzer Ralph Pulitzer (June 11, 1879 – June 14, 1939) was an American heir, newspaper publisher and author. He served as the president of the Press Publishing Co., which published the ''New York World'' and the '' Evening World''. Early life Ralph Pu ...

sponsored the Pulitzer Trophy Race and the Pulitzer Speed Trophy for military airplanes at

Roosevelt Field Roosevelt Field is a former airport, located in the East Garden City section of Uniondale, on Long Island, New York, United States. Originally called the Hempstead Plains Aerodrome, or sometimes Hempstead Plains field or the Garden City Aero ...

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, in an effort to publicize aviation and his newspaper. The races eventually moved to

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, in 1929, where they were known as the Cleveland National Air Races.''about the Reno Air Racing Association'' Retrieved 2010-03-10.
They drew the best flyers of the time, including James Doolittle,

Wiley Post Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 – August 15, 1935) was an American aviator during the Aviation between the World Wars, interwar period and the first aviator, pilot to fly solo around the world. Known for his work in high-altitude flyi ...

, Tex Rankin,

Frank Hawks Frank Monroe Hawks (March 28, 1897 – August 23, 1938) was a pilot in the United States Army Air Service during World War I and was known during the 1920s and 1930s as a record breaking aviator, using a series of Texaco-sponsored aircraft, settin ...

Jimmy Wedell James Robert Wedell (March 31, 1900 – June 24, 1934) was a famous 1930s racing pilot and aircraft designer. Wedell broke the world record for land-plane speed in 1933 when he clocked 305.33 m.p.h. in a Wedell-Williams aircraft of his own design. ...

Roscoe Turner Roscoe Turner (September 29, 1895 – June 23, 1970) was a record-breaking American aviator who was a three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race and widely recognized by his flamboyant style and his pet, Gilmore the lion, Gilmore the L ...

, and others from the pioneer age of aviation. These air races helped to inspire

Donald Blakeslee Donald James Matthew Blakeslee (September 11, 1917 – September 3, 2008) was an officer in the United States Air Force, whose aviation career began as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force flying Spitfire fighter aircraft during World War II. ...

as a young boy. Other races included in the U.S. National Air Races were the Mitchell Trophy Race, the Town & Country Club Race for civilians, the Kansas City Rotary Club Trophy "for all three military services," and the

Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early a ...

Trophy Race for "biplanes with engines having less than ." Starting in 1929, the races usually ran for up to 10 days, usually from late August to early September to include Labor Day. Aviation promoter

Cliff Henderson Clifford "Cliff" Henderson (1895–1984) was the managing director of the National Air Races from 1928 through 1939. Described as "the Barnum of aviation," he obtained sponsors for two of the most well-known air races of the period, the Bendix tr ...

was managing director of the National Air Races from 1928 to 1939. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the races were on hiatus. The races included a variety of events, including cross-country races originating in Portland, Oakland, and Los Angeles, with a final destination in Cleveland. Also included were landing contests, glider demonstrations, airship flights, and parachute-jumping contests. The more popular events were the Thompson Trophy Races which started in 1929; a closed-course race where aviators raced their planes around pylons; and the Bendix Trophy Race, the "transcontinental air race," across most of the USA starting in 1931. In 1929, a

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

route was started for the

Women's Air Derby The Women's Air Derby was the first official women-only air race in the United States, taking place during the 1929 National Air Races. Humorist Will Rogers referred to it as the Powder Puff Derby, the name by which the race is most common ...

(nicknamed the "Powder Puff Derby"), featuring well-known female pilots such as

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

Pancho Barnes Florence Lowe "Pancho" Barnes (July 22, 1901 – March 30, 1975) was a pioneer aviator and a founder of the first movie stunt pilots' union. In 1930, she broke Amelia Earhart's air speed record. Barnes raced in the Women's Air Derby and was a m ...

Bobbi Trout Evelyn "Bobbi" Trout (January 7, 1906 – January 24, 2003) was an early American aviator and endurance flying record holder. Trout began her aviation career at the age of 16; however, her first solo flight and solo certificate was not until April ...

, and

Louise Thaden Iris Louise McPhetridge Thaden (born Louise McPhetridge; November 12, 1905 – November 9, 1979) was an American aviation pioneer, holder of numerous aviation records, and the first woman to win the Bendix trophy, alongside Blanche Noyes. She was ...

. Thaden was the winner in the heavy Class D (engines with ), while

Phoebe Omlie Phoebe Jane Fairgrave Omlie (November 21, 1902 – July 17, 1975) was an American aviation pioneer, particularly noted for her accomplishments as an early female aviator. Omlie was the first woman to receive an airplane mechanic's license, the ...

won the light Class C (engines with ). This was also the year for the first female pylon race, the winner of which was awarded the Aerol Trophy beginning in 1931. In Chicago, on the last day of the 1930 trophy race (September 1), USMC Captain Arthur Page crashed his modified Curtiss Hawk Seaplane F6C-3, and died of his injuries later that day. After being on hiatus during the U.S. participation in

, the post-war races featured newer surplus military planes that greatly outclassed the planes from the pre-war era. In 1949

Bill Odom Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

lost control of his

P-51 The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...

"Beguine" and crashed into a Cleveland-area home, killing himself and two people. The races went on hiatus again. Though the events specific to Cleveland were in suspension, the cross country races for the Thompson, Bendix, and G.E. trophies continued. Three

B-47 The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...

s flew cross country from

March Air Force Base March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB), is located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Comm ...

to the

Philadelphia International Airport Philadelphia International Airport is the primary international airport serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It served 30.8 million passengers annually in 2024, making it the busiest airport in Pennsylvania and the 21st-busies ...

as participants in the 1955 Labor Day race. In the 1956 event, three B-47s participated in the G.E. Trophy race for Jet Bombers, flying from

Kindley Field Kindley Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base in Bermuda from 1948–1970, having been operated from 1943 to 1948 by the United States Army Air Forces as ''Kindley Field''. History World War II Prior to American entry into th ...

, Bermuda, to

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. One of these set a course speed record of 601.187 MPH. The annual event resumed in 1964 as the Reno National Championship Air Races, taking place in mid-September. The

Cleveland National Air Show The Cleveland National Air Show is an annual air show held on Labor Day weekend at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 as an indirect successor to the National Air Races. The show includes stunt airplanes, mod ...

also began in 1964. National Air Races were run by U.S. Air Race, Inc. from 1995–2007. The company was founded by famed World Race Gold Medalist Marion P. Jayne and after her death from cancer in 1996, was run by her daughter Patricia Jayne (Pat) Keefer, 1994 World Race Gold Medalist. Under Keefer's leadership, the events tabulated a perfect safety record with nearly 600,000 miles raced, over 3,200 safe landings at 81 different airports in 43 states and two countries in 25 events. With the help of hundreds of volunteers and over 250 different sponsors she awarded 26 Learn-to-Fly scholarships and reached an estimated 20 million people with a positive message about General Aviation.

Locations, dates, Pulitzer Trophy winners and speeds

Pulitzer Trophy - side view - Smithsonian Air and Space Museum - 2012-05-15

*1920 Mitchel Field, New York, 25 November,

C. C. Moseley Corliss Champion Moseley (July 23, 1894 – 1974) was a United States Army aviator and later civilian trainer. He won the inaugural National Air Races, Pulitzer Air Race in 1920. Following his service in World War I, where he was credited with one ...

, 156.54 mph over a 29-mile triangle course *1921

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, 3 November,

Bert Acosta Bertrand Blanchard Acosta (January 1, 1895 – September 1, 1954) was a record-setting aviator and test pilot. He and Clarence D. Chamberlin set an endurance record of 51 hours, 11 minutes, and 25 seconds in the air. He later flew in the Span ...

, 176.75 mph over a 30.7 mile triangle course *1922

Selfridge Field, Michigan Selfridge or ''variation'' may refer to: People * Andy Selfridge (1949–2019), American former National Football League player * Harry Gordon Selfridge (1856–1947), American-born founder of Selfridges Department Store * John Selfridge (19 ...

, 14 October,

Russell Maughan Russell Lowell Maughan (March 28, 1893 – April 21, 1958) was an officer in the United States Army and a pioneer aviator. His career began during World War I, and spanned the period in which military aviation developed from a minor arm of t ...

, 205.86 mph over a 31.1 mile course *1923 St. Louis Flying Field, Missouri, 6 October, Al Williams, 243.67 mph over a 31.1 mile course *1924

Wilbur Wright Field Wilbur Wright Field was a military installation and an airfield used as a World War I List of Training Section Air Service airfields, pilot, mechanic, and armorer training facility and, under different designations, conducted United States Army ...

, Ohio, 4 October, Harry Mills, 216.55 mph *1925 Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York, 10–12 October, Cyrus K. Bettis, 248.98 mph *1926 Model Farms Field,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 4–13 September *1927

Felts Field Felts Field is a public airport in the Northwestern United States, located northeast of Downtown Spokane, in Spokane County, Washington. It is owned by Spokane City-County. The airport has two parallel runways. Now used for general aviation, ...

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

, 21–25 September *1928

Mines Field Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging *Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun Mi ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, 8–16 September *1929 Cleveland Municipal Airport,

, 24 August-2 September *1930 Curtiss-Reynolds Field, Chicago, Illinois, 23 August–September 1 *1931

, August 29-September 7 *1932 Cleveland, Ohio, 27 August-5 September *1933 Mines Field, Los Angeles, California, 1–4 July *1934 Cleveland, Ohio, August 31-September 4 *1935 Cleveland, Ohio, August 30-September 2 *1936 Mines Field, Los Angeles, California, September 4–7, Michel Détroyat on Caudron C.460 *1937 Cleveland, Ohio, September 3–7 *1938 Cleveland, Ohio, September 3–5 *1939 Cleveland, Ohio, September 2–5 *1940 to 1945 Hiatus for World War II *1946 Cleveland Municipal Airport, Cleveland, Ohio, 31 August-2 September,

Tex Johnston Alvin Melvin "Tex" Johnston (August 18, 1914 – October 29, 1998) was an American test pilot for Bell Aircraft and the Boeing Company. Early life Johnston was born August 18, 1914, in Admire, Kansas, to farmers Alva and Ella Johnston. He h ...

*1947 Cleveland, Ohio, 30 August-1 September *1948 Cleveland, Ohio, 2–4 September *1949 Cleveland, Ohio, 3–5 September *1950 to 1963 Hiatus after crash *1964 Resumption as "The National Championship Air Races" in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

*1964 Indirect successor as the Cleveland National Air Show''The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History'' Retrieved 2010-03-11.
/ref>

References

External links

Flight Centennial: National Air RaceMovie of 1932 National Air Race, Cleveland, OhioSociety of Air Racing Historians siteR.H.R Atcherly 1932 Cleveland Air Races Photographs, Special Collections and Archives, Wright State UniversityCleveland Air Races Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University
*{{cite web, title=Cliff Henderson Special Collection, url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/albums/72157649474580500, website=San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives, Flickr, date=22 December 2014 , access-date=14 October 2016 Air races History of Cleveland Recurring sporting events established in 1920 1920 establishments in New York (state) 1949 disestablishments in Ohio

History

Locations, dates, Pulitzer Trophy winners and speeds

See also

References

External links