NORAD Santa delivers joy

Canadian Army Maj. Andrew Hennessy said, “It is that time of year again,” when NORAD personnel “defending North America 24/7 and 365” with three missions—aerospace defense, airspace warning, and airspace control and warning—add a fourth and “most highly known mission of NORAD Tracking Santa,” which brings joy and happiness to millions worldwide.

Normally about 150 specialists are hunkered down in Colorado Springs, Colorado, monitoring radar displays and computer screens. However, the workforce soars during the holidays while personnel compile content for the popular computer animations posted on a special NORAD Tracks Santa website that has grown in popularity and in sophistication through the years.

What started as a practical joke with a black-and-white map, grease pencils, and a transparent overlay has grown in sophistication to include photos, satellite images, computer graphics, and videos that showcase far-flung destinations. Stunning photos, intricate geography, and captivating games enlighten and inform children and their parents, while a countdown clock tracks Santa from country to country.

“In terms of technology, it’s evolved today so that on the twenty-fourth we can track Santa in real-time and broadcast that out to the world. Anyone who wants to follow Santa can see him,” said Hennessy.

Much of the operation evolved from measures that are in use to defend North America from unwarranted attacks, he explained. Defense is a serious business, so satellites keep a daily watch over the continent and fighters are always at the ready, Hennessy noted. “All of those things that we use every day are in use on the twenty-fourth as well.”

Civil Air Patrol cadets have previously helped track Santa by providing weather reports from the field as part of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary’s routine practice exercises. Hennessy thanked the group for their role as “a key partner” during training drills for airspace violations and intercepts. “Without their help we couldn’t do the training we need to accomplish to stay at the ready,” he noted.

Thousands of callers can pick up a handset, dial 877-HI-NORAD (877-446-6723), and speak to a defense specialist for the latest updates. “The phones don’t stop ringing until midnight—and when I say they don’t stop ringing—I mean they absolutely do not stop ringing. It’s nonstop and it’s pretty fast-paced. A lot of people really enjoy their ability to participate in this unique” opportunity.

Christmas Eve “definitely is a long day, but it doesn’t feel long,” Hennessy explained. “When our first volunteers arrive at 5 a.m., they use two-hour shifts to take calls from around the world.” Volunteers and staff participate in rotations for nearly 24 hours as the website and apps are updated, calls are fielded, and hundreds of videos are posted.

NORAD Tracks Santa has a large social media footprint including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Amazon Alexa virtual assistant users recently jumped on board and Hennessy noted “a few million” users in 2018. “There are many, many ways to keep up with what we’re doing during the lead-up, and on the day itself,” he said.

Hennessy revealed some NORAD Santa secrets during a question-and-answer session with AOPA:

Q: What is the most common question you receive?

A: By far the most common question is “When is Santa coming to my house?“ It’s usually from a child, and the answer is, “Based on our tracking, we can give you a rough idea, but you have to be in bed, and you have to be asleep for Santa to come to your house.“

Q: Does Santa have any known speed restrictions?

A: No. Santa moves faster than anything on the planet and experiences time differently than we do, which is why he can visit every place on the globe in a 24-hour cycle. He’s faster than anything known to man.

Q: How do you track Santa when he’s moving so quickly and erratically?

A: When Santa takes off it’s almost like a missile launch. To track that launch we lock onto Rudolph’s nose as the heat signature and we track him that way.

Q: Are there any airspace restrictions for Santa or other areas of airspace concern?

A: We don’t create any temporary flight restricted areas for Santa. He can do what he needs to do while everyone goes about their business. Here at NORAD we absolutely work with the FAA to enforce flight restricted areas—when needed—particularly near Washington, D.C., and during special events such as the Super Bowl. That’s when you’ll see NORAD enforcing these areas, and we always want pilots to check their notices to airmen, so they don’t have a NORAD fighter on their tail unexpectedly.

Q: What are some learning opportunities for parents and children tracking Santa?

A: Our Santa cams are strategically placed around the world. As you know, Santa doesn’t just come to Canada and the United States. He goes to all the places all over in the world and that’s the joy of this mission—watching him deliver gifts and joy to children around the world, so it really is a global thing.

Q: How do you balance the obligation of aerial defense with the popular holiday Santa tracking tradition?

A: Great question. We never stop doing our main missions, which are the defense of Canada and the United States—that never stops. We share the work here in order to do the work for NORAD Tracks Santa, and it’s a mission that we can’t fail at either.

Q: How does Santa calculate the center of gravity with his sleigh, the useful load with all of his presents, and his reindeer powerplants?

A: That’s Santa magic. There are some things that we know here at NORAD, and other things that remain a mystery, which is part of the joy of Santa.

Q: How does Santa prepare for a flight?

A: There are two key components that have to be ready for the twenty-fourth because Santa has unique characteristics: his engines—which are his reindeer and he’s got to make sure they are prepared, fed, and that Rudolph is out front to use his nose to see at night and to navigate—and his sleigh. On the sleigh he makes sure all his gear is packed correctly and that all the gifts are in the right order for the route he’s traveling. That’s Santa’s preflight checklist, and of course he himself needs to be ready.

Q: Does Santa train during other times of the year?

A: We only see Santa flying on the twenty-fourth. What he’s doing the rest of the year is getting ready for his one big day. It’s that rest and recuperation that takes the other 364 days of the year.

Q: Is Santa an early ADS-B user or is he planning to equip with ADS-B after the Christmas rush?

A: Santa has his own magic and always has the latest technology. If we could get to his level, we wouldn’t need any [physical] technology, we’d have it all intuitively.

Q: How do U.S. air traffic controllers identify Santa’s sleigh?

A: Santa will start in the South Pacific and will work his way through Asia, into Africa, the Middle East, Europe, so he comes over to North America from Europe. As soon as he enters North American airspace, we’ll have fighters alongside to greet him and to escort him. It’s a unique signature with NORAD fighter aircraft and Santa, so it’s evident to everyone where Santa is. But if you have any questions, you can go to our website or our app to see where he is.

Hennessy said he was “fortunate” and “very blessed” to participate in an opportunity to bring happiness to scores of others worldwide. Hennessy stressed that he and fellow NORAD defense members and a multitude of volunteers will be at the ready December 24 when Santa takes to the sky for the annual journey.