Santa better announce his approach path.

[Guest Valkyrie]

Did I mention that I don't like you?

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

Well... I'm about 32 minutes into my 12 hour O.N.E. shift. Langley got tasked this week, and my name was one of the lucky few drawn from the eligible members. Could definitely think of better ways to kick off my Holidays, but it goes with the job.

I foresee a long and uneventful watch... but if anything unannounced crosses into U.S. air space on the eastern coast, it might get a fireworks display a few days early.

Tell your kids Santa Claus might not make it this year.

Is Santa even IFR certified?

[TGO David]

Can I get you to take out one of the MTV satellites? Just one... doesn't matter which.

[Guest canynracer]

I say that + pr0n = swift kick in the balls when he gets home. y/y?

ummm nobody deserves that

no reason to take it out on his Jingle Bells:dropjaw: ...it just lacks xmas spirit..ya know??

[Guest SUNTZU]

Santa has FLIR.

[Guest Len]

Is Santa even IFR certified?

Oh yeah. They made Santa up-grade his ticket years ago. First, he's gotta be IFR over many parts of the US, weather or not. Second, the dude is engaged in commerce, so he needs a commercial ticket and has to fly under Part 121. Then, since he has 12 reindeer, he needs a multi-engine rating.

Its cool, though, since the flight deck of Santa's sleigh has all the latest gadgets. He's got FADEC to carefully parse out oats to the reindeer to maximize range, he's got dual Garmin 530 GPS systems with radar and traffic overlays. And the sleigh has auto-land to assist on those slippery roof tops.

Santa files the flight plan before he departs North Pole International and activates it once airborne. NORAD in Colorado keeps an eye on him as well. The FAA issues a NOTAM to all civilian traffic about increased traffic, and the guys flying the great circle route over the Atlantic on red-eye flights will usually send in PIREPs to keep everyone up to date.

I also think Santa has a unique transponder code assigned to him for the duration. I think its "1225" but I'd have to check to be sure. All-in-all, Santa has a perfect flight record except for one airspace incursion over DC during the 2001 season. Fighters dispatched from Andrews made a visual inspection, confirmed it was Santa (Rudolph's red rotating nose beacon is a good visual cue) and allowed him to proceed. I hear he got a nasty-gram from the FAA, but it was dismissed.

[strickj]

^^wow

[Guest GT_Rat]

Santa has FLIR.

He has IFF too. Which would actually help him in this circumstance.

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

Then, since he has 12 reindeer, he needs a multi-engine rating.

How do you control the fuel mixture on a reindeer powered aircraft?

[dralarms]

How do you control the fuel mixture on a reindeer powered aircraft?

It's not the intake mixture he has to worry about,

That exhaust will KILL ya.

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

It's not the intake mixture he has to worry about,

That exhaust will KILL ya.

[Guest Len]

Beats me, I'm not certified to solo in a sleigh. Damn type ratings cost a fortune. Donk know how Santa does it.

How do you control the fuel mixture on a reindeer powered aircraft?

[shaftbass]

You must have shot Santa down because I didn't get ****

Just kidding, Christmas was good but that'd be a great thing for someone to say if their Christmas sucked.