'See you on the next flight': Lito Sousa, the YouTuber who taught Brazil how planes work, dies at 59
The creator of the Aviões e Músicas channel, with 3.7 million subscribers, had Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; his wake was held Friday in São Paulo.
Foto: Reprodução/Instagram via Rolling Stone BrasilLito Sousa, creator of the YouTube channel Aviões e Músicas, died on Thursday (Oct. 1) at age 59 at his home in São Paulo, where he was receiving palliative care. He had been diagnosed in August with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and incurable neurodegenerative condition, and in September became the first human patient to receive the experimental treatment ALN-6457.
Born in Natal, Brazil, Sousa entered aviation at 14 through an Air Force technical course and spent more than three decades as an aircraft mechanic and flight safety specialist at carriers such as Varig, Transbrasil and United Airlines. He launched his YouTube channel in 2010, growing it to 3.7 million subscribers by translating technical topics for a general audience. He also wrote the book 'Onde Morrem os Aviões' and created programs for industry professionals and for people afraid of flying.
His wife, Mila Seidl, announced his death with the channel's signature sign-off: 'A big hug and see you on the next flight. It was an honor to have traveled with you.' He is also survived by his 7-year-old son, Malone. The wake took place on Friday (Oct. 2) in São Paulo's North Zone, and the family asked attendees not to photograph the ceremony.
