NORAD gears up to track Santa

The Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) began tracking Santa Claus in 1955 and did so until CONAD was replaced with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in 1958.

NORAD’s mission, 24hours a day, 365 days a year, is to track airplanes, missiles, space launches and anything else that flies in or around the North American continent – including Santa’s sleigh and Rudolph with “his infrarednose- so-bright” signature. While the tradition of tracking Santa began purely by accident, it became an annual tradition after a child accidentally dialed the unlisted number of CONAD Operations Center. The director of operations, Col. Henry Shoup, answered the phone and instructed his staff to check the radar for Santa, thus beginning a tradition. NORAD has dutifully tracked Santa since 1958 for millions of children and families across the globe.

Even though NORAD tracks Santa, only Santa knows his route, which means they cannot predict where and when he will arrive at a specific house, but going by history, it appears he arrives only when children are asleep. In most countries, it seems Santa arrives between 9 p.m. and midnight on Dec. 24. If children are still awake when he arrives, he moves on to other houses and returns later after they fall asleep.

According to his standard flight plan, Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west, taking him to the South Pacific first, then on to New Zealand and Australia, after which he heads for Japan and Asia and then across Africa and on to Western Europe. Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America. Weather can affect the route, so it can be unpredictable.

While Santa’s Elf Launch Staff coordinates with NORAD on his launch time, Santa still calls the shots. But the minute the sleigh takes to the air, NORAD begins tracking and children all over the world can come to the NORAD website (www.noradsanta.

org) to follow along and enjoy some other activities.

The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center is fully operation beginning at 4 a.m. MST on Dec. 24. The phone number to a NORAD staff member is active until midnight (1-877-446-6723).

Many have asked how Santa can cover the whole world in a single night, but NORAD intelligence reports that Santa does not experience time the same way most people do. While his trip may take 24 hours in regular time, it may be five days in Santa time and shows that the jolly man functions within his own time-space continuum.

Children have a lot of questions about Santa which NORAD has access to information that proves that Santa is alive and well in the hearts of people throughout the world. NORAD intelligence also indicates that Santa is at least 16 centuries old (back to the time/space continuum theory).

As to what Santa like and based on flight profile data gathered by NORAD, Santa probably stands about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 260 pounds (before cookies). Based on fighter-aircraft photos, we know he has a generous girth (belly), rosy cheeks from sleigh riding in cold weather, and a flowing white beard.

NORAD has different hypotheses and theories on how Santa gets down the chimney and can only chalk it up to being a magical phenomenon.

Although NORAD has different hypotheses and theories as to how Santa gets down the chimneys, they don’t have definitive information to explain the magical phenomenon.

For the past 65 years, NORAD fighter jets have intercepted Santa many times. Upon making contact, the pilots tip their wings to say, “Hello Santa… NORAD is tracking you again this year.” They report that Santa always waves back with a smile.

The pilots enjoy flying alongside as wingmen for the famous reindeer and taking photos and videos of Santa with their NORAD Santa Cams of Santa as he flies around the world. These appear almost every hour on the NORAD Santa Tracker website.

Through these videos, NORAD has been able to confirm that Santa’s sleigh is a versatile, all weather, multi-purpose and is a vertical short-take-off and landing vehicle. It can travel vast distances without refueling and is only deployed on Dec. 24, except for a flight test about a month before Christmas.

The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center is fully operation beginning at 4 a.m. MST on Dec. 24. The phone number to a NORAD staff member is active until midnight (1-877-446-6723).