Track Santa Online

Santa’s new sleigh? It’s red …

Beginning at 0900Z on Dec. 24 you can track Santa live online at www.NoradSanta.org as he makes his annual round-the-world flight. “Santa has had to adapt over the years to having less and less time to deliver his toys,” states the Web site, which is run by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). With a world population of more than 6.5 billion, Santa has but a fraction of a second to deliver a gift to each person on Earth. “The fact that Santa Claus is more than 15 centuries old and does not appear to age is our biggest clue that he does not work within time, as we know it.”

Yet several sources (who begged not to be identified) told AVweb that Santa has, for years, contracted his gift deliveries to Part 135 freight dogs. Think about it. Who really knows what these pilots wear while flying through the night? Who would notice the puffy red suit? While the timing of Santa’s mission is challenging, with the right equipment it might work. The circumference of the Earth through the poles – presumably Santa’s preferred routing – is 24,859 miles. If, for instance, Santa was flying the Aerion supersonic business jet at 1,112 mph, he could fly around the world in just over 22 hours – leaving about an hour to refuel, grab a cup of virgin eggnog and unload goodies to the freight dogs. But whatever Santa’s flying, let’s hope he doesn’t squawk 1200 when making deliveries in the Washington, D.C., area this year. NORAD is watching!