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They soared above a color line in the sky

But this is the last standalone convention of the Tuskegee Airmen because their numbers are dwindling.

ORLANDO - As a teenager, Howard Baugh wanted to be a pilot. The thought of soaring through the air thrilled him.

But he couldn't afford the flying time. And there was another obstacle: the Army Air Corps. didn't take people like Baugh. Black people.

Finally, after graduating from what is now Virginia State University, Baugh got his chance.

In 1941, a program to train African-Americans as military pilots began at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Baugh, who applied as soon as blacks were eligible, finished pilot training in 1942, was commissioned a second lieutenant and was assigned to the 99th Fighter Squadron in Sicily.

In January 1944, he and his wingman shot down a German FW-190 fighter bomber over the Anzio beachhead, recalled Baugh, 85. In all, he flew 135 combat missions in P-40s and P-51s.

"I enjoyed every bit of it," the retired lieutenant colonel recalled Tuesday at the 34th annual Tuskegee Airmen convention this week at the Rosen Centre Hotel. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black pilots among U.S. armed forces and developed a fearsome reputation. By World War II's end, 992 men had graduated from pilot training at Tuskegee. More than 450 went overseas for combat assignments.

An untold number were trained at Tuskegee as support - flight engineers, gunners and mechanics, among other jobs, said Air Force Col. T. Len Nevels, national convention planning chairman.

"You can read all the history you want, but until you hear it from the lips of the history makers themselves, that's priceless," Nevels said.

This year's gathering marks the last time Tuskegee Airman Inc., the national organization, will host the annual meeting as a standalone convention.

Beginning next year in Phoenix, Ariz., the Tuskegee convention will join other members of the International Black Aerospace Council, a clearinghouse for employment and education in aerospace.

"There are a half-dozen black organizations with a common purpose to motivate young people to consider files in aviation," Nevels said.

But there appears to be another reason for the change. Many of the original Tuskegee Airmen have died, and many of those still living are in their 80s. At this year's gathering, 80 "originals" had shown up by early Tuesday afternoon. Some estimates put the number of surviving airmen at less than 200.

The men don't talk much of the racism and machinations used to keep them from succeeding. Groups like the NAACP and a coalition of black newspaper editors rallied for black men to get the chance to prove themselves at piloting. But opponents said African-Americans lacked the intelligence and skill to fly complicated aircraft and the courage and patriotism to go into combat.

But men like Baugh don't dwell on that. Instead, Baugh, who lives in a suburb of Richmond, Va., likes to talk about life since Tuskegee. He spent 25 years in active duty.

Since a 1995 Hollywood movie made the Tuskegee Airmen famous, Baugh crisscrosses the globe speaking at schools, churches and military bases.

"I have to keep a calendar now to keep from having conflicts," Baugh said with a smile. "I'm having the best years of my life."

Marcus Franklin can be reached at mfranklin@sptimes.com or 727 893-8488.