Skeel, Burt E., 1894-1924
Dates
- Usage: 1894 May 5 - 1924 October 4
Biographical Note
Burton "Burt" E. Skeel (1894-1924) was a United States Army Air Service pilot.
Burton Eugene Skeel was born on May 5, 1894, in East Cleveland, Ohio to Frank E. and Artemisia Edgerton Skeel. From January 5, 1922 through October 4, 1924, he was the Commander of the 27th Pursuit Group, 1st Pursuit Group based at Selfridge Field in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Captain Skeel twice led a detachment of twelve MB-3A aircraft from Selfridge to St. Louis, Missiouri to participate in the International Air Races, which included the Mitchell Trophy Race (open only to members of the 1st Pursuit Group) and Pulitzer Air Race.
In 1923, the 2nd year the Mitchell Trophy was awarded, Skeel won race in St. Louis, Missouri, with his MB-3A reaching a speed of 161 mph (258 km/h). In October 4, 1924, he attended the International Air Race at Wright Field, Ohio and entered the Pulitzer Air Race. At the start of the race, as Skeel went into a nose dive to gain speed the wings of his Curtiss racer broke from the fuselage and the aircraft crashed. Skeel did not survive.
Occupations
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Army Air Corps Photographs
The Army Air Corps Photographs is comprised of fifty-nine black-and-white photographs primarily depicting the 1923 Pulitzer Air Race and Mitchell Trophy Race with ten snapshots featuring the Sacramento Air Depot in 1940.
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