 Skeel commanded the 27th Pursuit Squadron of the First Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field in Mount Clemens, Michigan.On October 6, 1923, Skeel won the second running of the Mitchell Trophy Race in St. Louis, Missouri, with his MB-3A reaching a speed of 161 mph (258 km/h).Skeel had boasted that he intended to win the Pulitzer Trophy Race at Wilbur Wright Field in 1924.