F-22 Raptors Took Part in Revived Mitchell Trophy Air Race
Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan hosted the Mitchell Trophy Air Race for the first time in eighty-nine years.
The revived aerial competition was considerably different from when it was established at the base twenty miles north of Detroit, in 1922.
The Mitchell Trophy was established by famed U.S. Army Air Corps pilot Col. Billy Mitchell to honor his brother 1st Lt. John Lendrum Mitchell Jr., who served in the 1st Pursuit Group and died during a training flight in France in the First World War.
The first race was held in October 1922 at Selfridge Field, as it was then named. It was part of the Pulitzer Trophy Air Races that year. However, it was only open to pilots serving in the 1st Pursuit Group.
Aviators of the day flew in open cockpit biplanes and “completed five laps on a twenty-mile course marked with pylons. The winner, Lt. Donald Stace, covered 100 miles at a rate of 148 miles per hour,” the base said in the press release.
The Mitchell Trophy Air Race was held twelve times, ending in 1936. Five of those, including the inaugural and final races, were at Selfridge.
“The Mitchell Trophy Air Race was more than just a contest of skill; it was an embodiment of the 1st Pursuit Group’s commitment to excellence and innovation,” said Joshua Lashley, the 1st Fighter Wing historian.
“The competition was fierce, and winning the race was one of the greatest honors a pilot could achieve.”
Bringing the Mitchell Trophy Air Race back to Life
Though attempts were made to revive the competition in the 1960s as part of the William Tell aerial gunnery competition, the race fell into obscurity. This year marked its official return to the base where it all started.
“The opportunity to showcase Selfridge’s capabilities during the Mitchell Trophy Air Race is a testament to the enduring fighter mission that’s been here for more than a century,” said Brig: Gen. Matthew Brancato, the 127th Wing and Selfridge Air National Guard Base commander.
“As the largest Air National Guard installation in the United States, Selfridge is equipped to handle the military fleet’s most advanced aircraft and weapons systems.”
Instead of open cockpit biplanes, this month’s race saw competitors fly far more advanced aircraft as the 127 Wing, Michigan Air National Guard, hosted the 1st Fighter Wing from Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) in Virginia. Though not open to the public, those living near the base likely heard and saw some aircraft participating in the competition.
Three squadrons each sent two Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors from JBLE to Selfridge ANGB, where the aircraft flew 446 nautical miles and then back, but it was more than just the time in the air. It also called upon airmen to use the Air Force’s concept of “Agile Combat Employment” (ACE), “whereby pilots, air crews and maintainers operate flying missions in combat zones, without the manning or infrastructure of established air bases,” the statement added.
“This is about replacing the logistical challenges we will face in a peer conflict, where our ability to move, adapt and fight in the face of numerous maintenance, support, weather and intelligence challenges, may very well determine mission success,” explained Col. Brandon Tellez, 1st Fighter Wing commander.
The Mitchell Trophy Air Race Raceday Recap
The pilots received the “mission” the morning of the race, and each team then had to inspect, arm, fuel, and launch the Raptors to Selfridge. Once on the ground north of Detroit, one pilot stayed with the two fifth-generation fighters as the F-22s were refueled, and inspected for the return flight.
“The other pilot had a side mission to complete,” the statement further noted.
That included a nearly two-mile run to the Selfridge Military Air Museum to sign the historic guest register and return to the aircraft. The race day saw below-freezing temperatures for Southeastern Michigan, winds gusting to thirty miles per hour, and pilots weren’t given directions to the museum.
All three teams successfully signed the book, which features “pages adorned with signatures of former presidents, high-ranking military officials and aviation heroes dating back to 1987 [while] the pilots were instructed to sign their names and to add, Mitchell Trophy Air Race 2025.”
Capt. “Marbro” of 27th Fighter Squadron was the first to sign the book, and Lt. Col “Devil,” 94th Fighter Squadron, reached the museum next. After shaking hands with bystanders, each returned to their respective jet: Devil and his teammate, Capt. “Rizz,” made the flight back to JBLE, reportedly completing the round-trip mission in less than five hours, winning this year’s Mitchell Trophy.
“We have our ACE capabilities that we emphasize every day and translated into a competition like this,” the 1st Fighter Wing Historian said in a separate statement. “We saw a level of excitement from Airmen that we don’t normally see, and competitors executed new tactics that we could implement in the future and possibly make us faster and more lethal [in a] fight. This is the benefit of true competition.”
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites, with over 3,200 published pieces and over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/ Joris van Boven.