Santa Claus and his reindeer are airborne! A few websites are keeping tabs on the big man in case you want to track Santa’s sleigh throughout Christmas Eve.
Tracking Santa’s Sleigh
My favorite is the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s mesmerizing Official NORAD Santa Tracker.
It appears to be computer-generated animation of Santa and the crew flying over satellite-captured maps of the world. So let’s assume it’s not a live image of the Santa Claus. After all, Mr. Kringle has to land, go down chimneys (or gain entry some other way) into people’s houses. 😉 This is probably to protect the privacy of the millions of families he’s visiting tonight. Right?
Seriously, I may AirPlay this from my iPad to TV all day while listening to Christmas music.
FlightRadar24, meanwhile, is tracking a very large sled and reindeer — tail number R3DNO53 (you know, “Rednose”).
“This year we’re tracking Santa with a mix of terrestrial and satellite-based ADS-B coverage,” FlightRadar24’s Ian Petchenik wrote. “Fortunately, Santa was able to extend the reach of his transponder by using the reindeer antlers as additional antenna.”
Final Approach
I love Christmas and 100% believe in the spirit of Old Saint Nick. I’ve enjoyed tracking Santa’s sleigh with my nieces and nephews. And this year, I’m very excited to watch my young daughter watch Mr. Claus and his company’s voyage around the world.
Merry Christmas to all — and to all (especially Santa) a good flight!
Featured image: ©iStock.com/Wavebreakmedia
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This may be the reason that we’re having the pandemic. Some people don’t trust governments.
During Christmas, governments LIE when they say they are tracking Santa. Santa, as they tell it, is a myth. It is true that the spirit and ideals of Santa are real, helped by parents, grandparents, even elves. But to say the sleigh is being tracked on radar is just propaganda and lies.