PHOTO GALLERY: Tuskegee Airman takes to the skies to celebrate his 100th birthday
How do you want to celebrate your 100th birthday?
For Tuskegee Airman retired Air Force Col. Charles McGee, the answer to that question was easy: Fly a plane.
On Friday, McGee flew a private plane between Frederick, Maryland, and Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, numerous news outlets reported.
“I have been given the opportunity for a wonderful life,” he told WJZ in November.
The first black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps, the Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 sorties during World War II.
McGee himself is one of the Air Force's most honored pilots. He flew 409 fighter combat missions over the course of three wars – World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
"To be able to get in the air and share with those who are serving today, I don't really have an answer, but this is one of life's blessings," McGee told WBOC. He turned 100 on Dec. 7.
The Air Force recently named its new trainer jet after the Tuskegee Airmen.
