Alia CX300 and Two Velis Electros to Compete in NAA-Sponsored Race

On October 12, the National Aeronautics Association will be bringing electric aircraft to Springfield, Ohio, to compete for a title that hasn’t officially been given in more than a century: the Pulitzer Trophy. As of now, the lineup includes one Beta Alia CX300 and two Pipistrel Velis Electros.

The organization is the successor to the Aero Club of America, which first launched the Pulitzer races in the 1920s to promote aviation as the future of transportation. According to race director Scott Neumann, a former U.S. Air Force test pilot and volunteer with the NAA, the goal is to bring the public closer to electric aircraft while the technology is still on the up and up.

“Even today, there are not a lot of people who have actually seen an electric aircraft fly,” Neumann said. “The traveling public has to be willing to buy a seat on an electric aircraft, and they may look and sound very different than the airplanes we are used to.”

The competition is being held alongside the National Advanced Air Mobility Industry Forum, scheduled in Springfield two days later. Partners include the Advanced Air Mobility Institute, a Boston nonprofit, and the National AAM Center of Excellence.

The course will replicate the historic format: a 60-nautical-mile triangular circuit flown in staggered heats, with cumulative flight times determining the winners. Instead of the original sterling silver trophy, which is now displayed at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, pilots will receive gold, silver, and bronze medallions modeled after awards from the 1920s.

The racers include BETA Technologies’ Alia CX300, flown by a company pilot, and two Velis Electros from Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel, operated by Lincoln Park Aviation of New Jersey and piloted by U.S. Air Force cadets from Wright-Patterson AFB. Additional aircraft will be on display at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport venue.

“People will see the planes racing and get close to them to understand the technology,” Neumann continued. “And we’re trying to do it early enough in the technology development curve to help make a difference.”

Organizers also plan to highlight the planes’ quiet operation. During the competition, surveys will be passed around to gather public reactions. There will also be louder aircraft chasing behind the electric lineup to give a clear comparison.

FMI: www.naa.aero