OG of the Souŧh

Flying to Barbados one quiet evening, the lead crew leaned over and told me his father had been an engineer, just like me. Died in a plane crash. That was the moment it truly landed. This job isn’t just a uniform and a paycheck. It’s dangerous. Not in the loud, cinematic way people imagine, but in the quiet knowledge that the sky sometimes keeps what it takes. And still we go back to it. Some loves ask for everything.

@OnDisasters On initial climb. The most unforgiving phase of flight. The parking lot is the only reason anyone walked away. My heart goes out to the pilots we lost.

Update - CCTV footage of the light aircraft that impacted a building in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) According to preliminary info pilot declared difficulties during the initial climb moments after departure. The aircraft subsequently collided with a building and fell into the parking area. Both pilots perished in the crash, all three passengers survived but suffered serious injuries.

I have deep respect for Singapore Airlines cabin crew. The training, the composure, the standard. However, the airline will say it's strictly professional. Maybe. But na from clap dem dey enter dance. The person who can wipe a stranger's feet, with a smile, has already crossed a threshold most people haven't.

God send help vain is the help of man

@OzorNdiOzor @PeterObi Where is Owolabi?

Prep yourselves for some of the greatest shock of your life. In 2007 social media wasn’t what it is today, so you won’t exactly say that anyone was watching or everything was aimed for campaign or record of future political ambition. Soo!! That year @PeterObi as Gov of Anambra State rejected two plots of land allocated offered to him, No cameras, it was simply just about principle. In 2015 he rejected oil block too. No one in their sound mind does something like that in this country, absolutely NO ONE!!; sure, sometimes I feel like Obi is not in his sound mind, maybe that’s why. In a country where public office is often a ticket to personal wealth, Obi’s refusal to enrich himself or his family. But this is just the start, and I think you’re not shocked enough: Obi Rejected Honorary Doctor degree from 7 Universities that I’m sure of. There are also claims that he declined a professorship title too simply because he hadn’t earned it through the academic process, I’m yet to verify this particular claim though. With Obi it’s basically Integrity over honorary accolades. Ask yourself here and now, when last did you hear a politician say no to a shiny title? As Governor, Obi rejected a N400M offer from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Don’t forget he already turned down an oil well deal prior. Obi didn’t stop there. He declined his pension as an ex-governor. While others collect hefty retirement packages, Obi said, “No, thanks.” He also left ₦75 billion in state savings when he exited office in 2014. In 2022, Obi shared how the Bauchi State governor offered him land in Abuja, and he refused. In Obi’s words: “I told him I don’t need it.” The governor later confirmed Obi was the only one to decline such an offer. Obi’s philosophy as Governor was clear: “I became Governor to serve my people, not to enjoy undue privileges.” He lived it to the fullest: Rejected lands Cut governance costs, and showed public office isn’t a family business. That’s the mindset Nigeria needs in a National leader Here’s more: Obi personally funded boreholes, school renovations, and hospital upgrades in Anambra without dipping into state funds. He used his own money to support communities, setting a standard no one else has matched. Sure many Nigerians today ask how can he replicate that as just one man in the presidency?? Sure he can. He once challenged the status quo, so he can do it again. No Government Office holder in Nigeria has declined to use his position to enrich his family or friends except Peter Obi.” That’s a legacy worth talking about. Peter Obi’s record isn’t perfect, nobody’s record is, however his consistent rejection of personal gain in a system that rewards it is nothing short of extraordinary. Nigeria deserves leaders who serve, not the ones who exploit through contracts, manipulation of national budget and Ecetra

@xygort There's profound wisdom in this because imagine taking shortcuts only to arrive at the wrong place...

People love shortcuts until they realise shortcuts still require knowing exactly where you’re going.

@xygort This...

One under-observed way that life goes wrong is through normalcy. No peaks or lows, just an average life. And that’s the scary part about wasted potential. It can feel comfortable while it’s happening.

@PeterObi The conviction is consistent. I believe that's what matters.

"The condition of our nation and the urgent need to rescue Nigeria, informed my decision to leave ADC for NDC." Yesterday, I formally joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside my dear brother, Engr. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with one clear purpose: to continue the struggle for a new Nigeria built on justice, competence, accountability, and compassion for the ordinary Nigerian. As I stated yesterday, this decision was not made out of anger, personal ambition, or convenience. It came after deep reflection on the present condition of our nation and the urgent need to rescue Nigeria from the dangerous path it is currently heading. Over the years, I have remained steadfast in my conviction that politics should never be about individuals, positions, or personal gain. It must be about the people, especially the millions of Nigerians who today can no longer afford necessities, whose businesses are collapsing, whose children are losing hope, and whose future is becoming increasingly uncertain. I left the ADC for the same reason I left the Labour Party: the severe, orchestrated litigation and internal crises deliberately designed to ensure that I, alongside many other notable individuals, do not effectively participate in the electoral process. I sincerely appreciate and remain deeply grateful to the Leadership of ADC for the opportunity to work together in pursuit of a better Nigeria. I am particularly grateful to ADC Chairman Senator David Mark for his exceptional Leadership. I also deeply appreciate my Leader and elder brother YE, Atiku Abubakar, as well as other respected leaders within the party. As we join the NDC, I sincerely appeal to the Nigerian Government against the encouragement of unresolved litigations and the infusion of crises within political parties. Democracy must never become a weapon against the people. A healthy democracy thrives on strong institutions, credible alternatives, and the freedom of citizens to make choices without intimidation, manipulation, or fear. Opposition parties must not be weakened or destroyed, because when democracy loses balance, the people ultimately suffer. Nigeria today is passing through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Poverty is rising. Hunger is widespread. Insecurity continues to threaten lives and livelihoods. Businesses are shutting down daily. Our young people are becoming discouraged, and many citizens have lost faith in the system. At a time like this, leadership must be driven not by propaganda or division, but by competence, capacity, character, and compassion. Our decision to join the NDC is therefore not an abandonment of values, but a continuation of the same mission we have always stood for: building a Nigeria where leadership is about service, where public resources are managed responsibly, where institutions function independently, and where every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, religion, region, or social status, can live with dignity, security, and hope. I remain committed to working with all Nigerians of goodwill across political, ethnic, and religious lines. The task before us is bigger than any individual or political party. It is about the future of our children and the survival of our dear nation. I thank Nigerians, especially our youths and women, for remaining peaceful, resilient, and hopeful despite the enormous challenges confronting the country. I urge you not to lose faith in Nigeria. Nations do not change because people surrender to hopelessness; they change because people continue to believe, continue to sacrifice, and continue to stand for what is right. A new Nigeria is still POssible. -PO

My thinking is, there is no storm coming that was not, in some way, preparing you long before it arrived. You have endured way too much to still believe you are unequipped for what comes next.

@Chancelocelot @xAviation Many thanks, sir.

@Ecaspu @xAviation Beautifully described.

Static discharge on A320 windshields! 📹: kilodelta21

United Airlines had a day at Newark. Flight 169, a 767-400 arriving from Venice, clipped a light pole and a truck on the New Jersey Turnpike on short final to runway 19. 231 people on board. The aircraft landed safely. Crew pulled from service. FAA and NTSB are now investigating. Same airport, same evening. Flight 1837 from Puerto Plata. A passenger attacked a flight attendant, tried to force open the cabin door, and attempted to breach the flight deck. Captain declared an emergency. Suspect detained on arrival and taken for psychiatric evaluation. Both in one day at the same airport. The 767 approach is the serious one. That jet was below safe obstacle clearance on final. NTSB involvement means they will dig into everything: crew inputs, altimetry, ATC instructions, and approach procedure compliance.

@CuriosityonX Elon. That man knows something we don't.

If aliens requested a meeting with a sole individual to represent the human race, whom should we send?

@cjandshea That's a father doing math on a credit card at midnight. This is exactly who Spirit was built for and exactly who loses when it's gone.

It mattered to me big time. My daughter is away at college and sadly it is almost impossible for her to afford to fly home for holidays without my help, and I’m already paying for college so it is tough. For context 2 years ago we would fly round trip from Los Angeles to Columbus of OH sometimes for just $90 round trip. They were also the only airline with a direct flight. I just paid to fly her home for summer. $429.00 ONE WAY w/ LAYOVER. It adds several thousands of dollars to my college bills this year. Probably close to an extra $5,000 that I have to put on a credit card so add interest to that! @realDonaldTrump should have bought them out!

@CTOGod Ok.

@Ecaspu Now you’re just deviating from ur own argument, what r u even talking about. Spirit collapsed because the business model isn’t working anymore and as an exercise of free markets, ppl celebrating or mourning it doesn’t matter.

Spirit made flying accessible to people who had no business being able to afford a plane ticket. A single mother flying her kids to see family for $49 each way couldn't do that on Delta. That's real and it matters. The ULCC model democratized air travel in a way nothing else did. The problem was never the low price. It was that the model had no margin for error. No buffer, no resilience, no ability to absorb a fuel spike or a pandemic or rising lease costs without the whole thing collapsing. When it worked it was genuinely useful. When it broke it stranded the exact people who had no backup plan. The model also needed consumer protections it never got. The price was right. The safety net around it was never built. Spirit was a good idea, poorly protected by policy, that ran out of runway when the economics turned against it. The people who needed it most are the ones who lost it.

@Alx17588250 People's Express. New York Air. Midway. The graveyard of ULCCs is long. The need they served never went away though.

@Ecaspu Guess your not old enough to remember People's Express

@CTOGod Even privileges come with minimum standards of treatment. Spirit understood that better than the people celebrating its collapse.

@Ecaspu What more safety net do u need? Air travel is a privilege, not a right. The only thing the govt should regulate when it comes to airlines is safety and that’s it. Also passengers are getting refunded, not completely screwed.

Deregulation created Spirit, agreed. But deregulation without a passenger safety net just means the risk transferred entirely to the customer. The airline got the upside of the free market. The stranded passenger got the downside. That asymmetry is exactly what basic consumer protection fixes.

@Ecaspu Not everything needs to be protected and regulated, the whole reason spirit came to life was because of deregulations in the first place, the answer is not and very rarely would be more regulation. Definitely not so in this case when the opposite created ULCCs in this first place

@CTOGod Air travel as a percentage of income has dropped, you said it yourself. That's the market working. Spirit accelerated that. The $50 argument cuts both ways. If a $50 price increase kills the airline, maybe the model needed the consumer protection more than the consumer did.

@Ecaspu “Consumer protections” in this case would like have led to more taxes or higher prices at the expense of everyone else. Air traffic has also gotten disproportionately low in the past 2 decades as % of income. If a $50 increase means u can’t fly, u shouldn’t in the first place

First time I saw one of these, I stood and watched longer than I should have. A towbarless tractor drives under the nose gear, lifts it clean off the ground, and takes the full weight of the aircraft directly onto the machine. The nose gear sits in a cradle. The tractor reads the steering angle and mirrors it so the aircraft moves exactly where you point it. A conventional tug pulls. This one carries. The difference matters more than it sounds when you're moving a wide body in a tight space at 3 in the morning.

@Ecaspu Poor people shouldn't be allowed to fly.

@ChewyYorkie Yes. Free markets work until the variables stop being theoretical. Spirit served a real need without a buffer. The consequences aren't optional.

@Ecaspu Free markets in action! Spirit Airlines addressed a market need but sometimes external factors out of a company’s control like a global pandemic and high fuel prices due to geopolitical events can be catastrophic.