Despite an “encouraging” response from potential competitors in the new Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race, the U.S. National Aeronautic Association (NAA) has decided to postpone the event to a date that has yet to be determined.
Originally scheduled for May 22 to 25, the cross-country air race will follow a 1,000-nm route from Eppley Airfield (KOMA) in Omaha, Nebraska, to Dare County Regional Airport (KMQI) near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
The four-day race will be open to electric aircraft of all kinds, including fixed-wing airplanes, helicopters, and new multi-rotor designs emerging from the nascent advanced air mobility industry, such as eVTOLs. To be eligible for the competition, the aircraft must produce zero emissions and be powered by an electric propulsion system, including batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, and solar panels.
“The NAA remains fully committed to holding the Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race as an exciting venue for the advancement of practical electric propulsion aircraft,” said NAA president and CEO Greg Principato. “However, economic conditions and a strong priority by the aircraft manufacturers on product development and certification hampered our ability to secure the necessary sponsorships in time for a race in 2023.”
Models used in the race must either have FAA type certification or an experimental license. While some small electric aircraft are already in operation, newer eVTOL designs now under development aren’t expected to achieve type certification until 2024 at the earliest.
The Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race is intended to be a continuation of the Pulitzer air races held by the NAA in the 1920s and 1930s to help promote technological advancements in airplanes with internal combustion engines in the early days of aviation. The winner of the race will be the pilot or crew with the shortest cumulative flight time, not including overnight stays or time spent on the ground to recharge batteries or conduct maintenance.
The NAA made preregistration for the race available online in December 2022, and prospective contestants can still sign up via the association’s website. The event is limited to 25 entrants and has a $1,500 entry fee.
“We had a great response from potential competitors in the Pulitzer race during our preregistration last December and are confident that like-minded partners will join us for the race going forward and make the Pulitzer Trophy the standard of excellence in electric aviation,” said Scott Neumann, director of the Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race.
