Christmas, ‘this rule’ that Santa must follow no matter how busy he is[이원주의 날飛]

Many aerospace organizations also become busy around Christmas. This is because we need to know where Santa is flying now and which local children are receiving gifts. According to ‘military secrets’ collected by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint air defense command of the United States and Canada, Santa’s sleigh carries 60,000 tons of gifts and flies faster than starlight.

Santa began flying in a sleigh pulled by 9 reindeer to distribute gifts to children at Santa’s headquarters in the North Pole. Source: NORAD website

Perhaps because Santa flies at a speed that human science cannot keep up with, Santa’s current location displayed by organizations is slightly different. The picture below shows Santa’s location tracked by Google and that tracked by ‘Flightradar24’, a private aircraft tracking site, at the same time.

Santa’s location tracked by Flightradar24 (top) and Santa’s location tracked by Google (bottom). The Flightradar data is south of New Caledonia, while the Google data is further north, so the two locations are somewhat different. Each homepage

In fact, this level of error may need to be taken into account. That’s because Santa’s sleigh is not equipped with radar tracking equipment or wireless communications equipment. The only basis for tracking Santa, who flies faster than light, is the light coming from Rudolph’s ‘very shiny nose’. In fact, this ‘glittering light’ also hangs on aircraft. The ceiling and floor of the aircraft are equipped with light bulbs that flash red periodically to help other aircraft and air traffic control agencies visually confirm the current location. It is one of the navigation lights called a ‘Beacon’.

‘Beacons’ on the ceiling and floor of the aircraft. The red light flashes to indicate the current location of a moving aircraft. Donga Ilbo DB

And aircraft flashing these beacons are flying in the sky countless times even on Christmas Eve. So it appears that Santa’s sleigh, flying at the speed of light, also needed to adhere to ‘standard navigation’. ‘Jeppesen’, which produces aviation charts for each airport, creates a ‘sleigh chart’ every Christmas that contains detailed instructions on what Santa’s sleigh must follow.

Navigation chart for Santa’s sleigh published by Jeppesen, an aviation chart manufacturer. You can reach Santa’s headquarters by passing through the points called ‘SANTA’, ‘CLAUS’, ‘COMNG (Coming)’, and ‘TOWNN (town)’ in order. Data Jepson

If you look at the chart, one strange part stands out. Typically, aerial charts are created with the top pointing north. And in airplane navigation, north is indicated as 360 degrees and south is indicated as 180 degrees. However, this flight chart that Santa must follow shows the right direction in 360 degrees. The reason is simple: the map where Santa’s ‘headquarters’ is located is the ‘North Pole’. So, on this map, all directions leading to Santa’s headquarters must be displayed in 360 degrees.

Normally, the top of the chart is indicated as true north (360°), but at the North Pole, Santa’s headquarters is the North Pole, so no matter where you look, Santa’s headquarters is in the direction of true north. All other azimuths are marked with the North Pole in mind. Data Jepson

The chart is filled with instructions that Santa must follow while distributing gifts. For example, Santa’s sleigh is pulled by nine reindeer, including Rudolph, and if three or more of these reindeer are tired and unable to work, they must be quickly replaced by replacement reindeer. Otherwise, you may not be able to land your sleigh at Santa’s headquarters.

Restrictions that Santa must follow when operating his sleigh. If the number of reindeer pulling the sleigh is 5 or less, it is marked as inaccessible (N/A, Not Available). Santa must allow the reindeer to change shifts before they get tired. Data Jepson

Conversely, there are also priorities given only to Santa on Christmas Eve. First of all, the area around Santa’s headquarters becomes a ‘no-fly zone’ where aircraft other than those delivering or transporting gift toys are prohibited from flying. However, flights carrying letters or mail that Santa needs to receive may receive priority access. On this day, aviation organizations from around the world, who are serious about protecting airspace, are racing to issue priority flight permits to Santa.

Top powers given to Santa on Christmas Eve. The North Pole sky is a restricted area where only Santa can fly, but only planes carrying children’s letters to Santa are given priority access. Data Jepson

But in fact, Santa is not an easy job. Temperatures in the Arctic sky can drop below -70 degrees Celsius. It’s not easy to fly around the North Pole wearing only a red fur coat. Even an airplane that is said to be the ‘crown of technology’ requires a lot of preparation to cross the Arctic sky.

▶How an airplane crosses the Northern Sea Route: Watch on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mFw1s-TgZU

Aerospace or military organizations are places where you don’t have time to pay attention. One day a year, they become people who are ‘sincere about Santa’ and track down Santa for the sake of the children, risking the reputation of the organization. So, just for one day, I became a fan of Santa. The news window is filled with gloomy and frustrating news, but wouldn’t it be okay to look up at the night sky just for today? ‘Merry Christmas’ to all readers.

Lee Wonju’s Day >

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