Santa only comes but once a year. Track his flight throughout the night on Christmas Eve as he flies across the world delivering presents to every good little boy and girl.
For the past 60 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), have been on watch making sure Santa gets to every house.
According to NORAD, the tradition began in 1955 after Sears misprinted Santa’s phone number at the North Pole. The calls were accidentally routed to a CONAD operations hotline.
Colonel Harry Shoup, the director of operations at the time, did not want to see children disappointed. He instructed his staff to check their radar and give updates on Santa’s location to any kids who called.
NORAD says its pilots have spotted Santa many, many times over the years.
“When the jets intercept Santa, they tip their wings to say, ‘Hello Santa! – NORAD is tracking you again this year!’ Santa always waves. He loves to see the pilots!”
While information is limited on Santa’s sleigh, NORAD has been able to gather the following information.
