Post date: Dec 24, 2013 9:49:31 PM
R Reports - For more than 50 years, Santa's epic journey to millions of homes worldwide has been tracked by NORAD.
That stands for The North American Aerospace Defense Command. They ensure Santa's safety as he travels.
Major General Charles Luckey, Chief of Staff at NORAD and U.S. NorthCom explains some of the threats Santa may encounter:
MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES LUCKEY, CHIEF OF STAFF AT NORAD AND U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, "The reality is, the Abominable Snowman's still out there. Bumbles' teeth may grow back, the Grinch's heart may shrink again. There are any number of potential challenges Santa might have, and we want to make sure his travels are safe and secure."
Their radar system makes this possible.
MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES LUCKEY, CHIEF OF STAFF AT NORAD AND U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND,
"There's a lot of land-based radars all around the world that facilitate our being able to make sure we have a good beat on Santa at all times and know exactly where he is."
Santa's safety is their top priority. So NORAD fighter jets escort Santa as he travels across Canadaand the United States. They salute the man in red by tipping their wings and waving their hands.
But with all of the distractions, how is Santa doing for time?
MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES LUCKEY, CHIEF OF STAFF AT NORAD AND U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND,
"He's on track, he's delivered over 2 million presents so far. We anticipate he will probably hit theeast coast of the United States some time around 8:30 - 8:45pm."
So children need to get themselves to bed. As everybody knows, Santa won't come if people in the house are awake.
But thanks to 1200 volunteers with NORAD's Santa Tracking team, updating children as they call in, St. Nick's flight stays on track without delay.