Photo By Tech. Sgt. Andrew Schumann | Lt. Col. Devil, a pilot assigned to the 94th Fighter Squadron, arrives at Selfridge...... read more read more
Subscribe
Members of the 127th Wing, Michigan Air National Guard, hosted the 1st Fighter Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mar. 6, 2025, reviving an aerial competition made popular when World War I flying aces were front-page news. In a collaboration 89 years in the making, the 1st Fighter Wing, whose lineage dates back to the 1st Pursuit Group, brought part of the Mitchell Trophy Air Race back to Selfridge, a heritage home of both the unit and the race.
“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, commander of the 127th Wing and Selfridge Air National Guard Base. “As the largest Air National Guard installation in the United States, Selfridge is equipped to handle the most advanced aircraft and weapons systems in the military fleet.”
The 127th Wing actively flies both the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack and KC-135 Stratotanker refueling missions. In addition, the Michigan Army National Guard, U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, and Coast Guard share the 1.3 million square feet of ramp space, flying the CH-47 Chinook, MH-65E Dolphin and multiple other rotary and fixed wing aircraft from the base, 20 miles north of Detroit.
With all the infrastructure and support capabilities to refuel and house 24 fighter aircraft, the 127th Wing was easily positioned to host the six F-22 Raptor aircraft racing in from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia on Mar. 6.
“While supporting fighter aircraft is a crucial element of our lethal combat mission, the rich history and heritage of Selfridge makes us an exceptional location for the race,” Brancato said.
Between 1922 and 1936, the Mitchell Trophy Air Race was held 12 times, five of those at Selfridge, including the first and last iterations. Open only to pilots of the 1st Pursuit Group, the first race was held as part of the larger Pulitzer Trophy air races on Oct. 14, 1922. Six open cockpit biplanes completed five laps on a 20-mile course marked with pylons. The winner, Lt. Donald Stace, covered 100 miles at a rate of 148 miles per hour.
In contrast, the 2025 competitors flew fifth generation fighter aircraft from JBLE to Selfridge, completed a series of tasks on the ground and arrived back at home station in less than five hours. While air races were a beloved pastime of a bygone era boasting crowds in the tens of thousands, winning required the aerial skills of lethally-trained, combat-tested pilots. The competitions tested mettle and many died during these events.
“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.”
Unlike the original series, the 2025 race tested the combat skills of today’s warfighter, using the Air Force concept of “agile combat employment.” ACE is a skillset whereby pilots, air crews and maintainers operate flying missions in combat zones, without the manning or infrastructure of established air bases.
“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,” Col. Brandon Tellez, 1st Fighter Wing commander, said.
Three teams of two pilots, each representing a squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing, received the “mission,” the morning of the event. They were tasked with getting their jets inspected, armed, fueled and launched to fly to Selfridge. Once at Selfridge, one pilot stayed with the aircraft to refuel and inspect in preparation for takeoff, while the other pilot had a side mission to complete.
Without any logistical support or contacts on the ground, the Airmen left the flight line in search of the Selfridge Military Air Museum to sign the historic guest register. In temperatures well below freezing and with winds gusting up to 30 mph, the first pilot took off on foot to reach the museum, approximately two miles away. In 30 minutes, Capt. Marbro, 27th Fighter Squadron, was the first to put his signature down.
With pages adorned with signatures of former presidents, high-ranking military officials and aviation heroes dating back to 1987, the pilots were instructed to sign their names and to add, “Mitchell Trophy Air Race 2025.”
Lt. Col. Devil, commander, 94th Fighter Squadron, the second to reach the museum, shook the hands of approximately 20 bystanders in the museum after completing his task and before returning to his jet.
Although the Mitchell Trophy Air Race looked much different in 2025 than in its heyday, the opportunity to exercise military readiness and demonstrate warrior ethos was as strong as ever.
“The race is more than just a competition,” Tellez said. “It’s a way to honor our heritage as air power pioneers, the legacy and sacrifices of those who came before us and the enduring role of air power in national defense that remains ahead.
Devil and his teammate, Capt. Rizz, both of the 94th Fighter Squadron were named winners of the Mitchell Trophy. Now, after 89 years, all the Selfridge bystanders who shook Devil’s hand can say they met a Mitchell Trophy Cup winner.
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.07.2025 16:08 |
| Story ID: | 492285 |
| Location: | SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Mitchell Trophy Air Race revived at Selfridge, by MSgt Chelsea FitzPatrick, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Selfridge Air National Guard Base
