When our team started planning the cover subject for our second annual Los Angeles issue, we wanted someone who connected with L.A.; who was L.A. A few names came to mind but it didn’t take long to know who we needed. He’s a former star of the L.A. Lakers, a member of the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team” and a successful business man. He is Magic Johnson.

Ever the entrepreneur, motivational speaker, busy traveler, and friend to Delta, we were thrilled when Magic agreed to take time out of his busy schedule to talk to us.

As the interview and photo shoot made its way from the Erwin Hotel to VeniceBeach, an enormous group of fans and onlookers gathered to snap photos and catch a glimpse of the legendary basketball icon. Fans assured us, “he’s still got it!” as they watched him sink shot after shot. Clad with custom-painted Nike sneaks designed exclusively for Sky by King of Sneakers, Magic very kindly took photos with adoring fans after the interview, and even shot some hoops with them.

As the day concluded, we had what we needed for a great feature and cover for our L.A. issue and Magic was exactly what we knew he would be: Magic. You can read the story and learn all things Los Angeles in Sky’s February issue in a seat pocket near you or online at deltaskymag.com/magicfeature.

Lindsay Bacon

Sky Magazine Product Manager

Hi, my Name is Viki and I’ve been working at Delta in Accra for five years this month! My career at Delta all started because of a chance encounter with two Delta managers that knocked at the door of my Accra airport office wanting help sourcing phone cards. Shortly after, I found myself at an interview in London being offered the job of station manager for Delta’s operations in Accra, and I’ve been here ever since!

It was an exciting time from the get go. There was always so much to do, from finding offices and filing slots to preparing for the first flight. Even though this was my third start up for an airline, somehow with Delta it felt different, more special and exciting.

And so arrived the time for the inaugural flight. The arrival of Delta on our soil in Ghana five years ago has been the most memorable moment in my working life to date. On that day, all my months of hard work came to fruition and was recognized with a big celebration with many dignitaries in attendance. It signified the start of a huge growth in aviation in Africa, and Ghana in particular. Back then, we started with flights to New York (JFK), but today we have expanded and now fly to 3 more cities – Atlanta, Monrovia and recently Abuja, Nigeria.

There is a real buzz when working for Delta because there’s always something going on. In  Ghana with the new passenger gates, new lie-flat beds and an increasing route network, there’s never a dull moment! All of these aspects are providing a real boost for the region and the airline itself.

Even though there has been a lot of change over the years, I still have my original team from the beginning as well as two more additions from Dakar and Atlanta. We have created a wonderful and award winning team due to our hard work in safety and baggage.

Thanks Delta, let’s celebrate 5 years of success!

Viki Vaughan-Williams

Station Manager, Accra

If you’re a Cards fan we don’t need to tell you about the Happy Flight phenomena, but we can certainly show you how we’re celebrating it at Delta in St. Louis!

In my job as an ACS (Airport Customer Service) Performance Leader in STL, I work with other agents to ensure you move smoothly from curbside to planeside. So why am I writing this blog? Among my team, I’m known as “the Cardinals guy.” And well, I took my vacation to coincide with the World Series, so I could focus all my energies on cheering for the Cards! So you can only imagine how excited I am about seeing all of the action here at Delta.

The Cardinals have, without doubt, the best fans in all of baseball…and for good reason.  It’s easy to support a team that is made up of individuals with not only the highest level of talent but also the highest level of character.  They are smart, focused, and maybe most importantly, they themselves are true fans of the game! As a long time Delta employee, I can see why we’re proud sponsor of their organization, and I’m glad we could help make you part of the CARDINAL NATION.

Matthew Smith

Airport Customer Service, Performance Leader- STL