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Tracking Flights, Tracking Santa
December 23, 2008 4:46 PM
He's the season's most famous traveler and so far his trip appears to be running on time.
As travelers await their flights in airports nationwide, Santa Claus is gearing up for a lengthy Christmas Eve journey himself, according to several web sites that track Jolly Old St. Nick.
Pinpointing Santa is a complex process that involves satellites, Santa Cams, radar and fighter jets, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, which has famously tracked Santa for more than 50 years with increasingly precise technology. Radar will indicate exactly when Santa Claus leaves the North Pole. High speed-cameras scattered at various locations around the world will capture photos of him as he zooms through the night. Fighter pilots will fly alongside him to welcome his sleigh to North America.
"Satellites positioned in geo-synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles from the Earth's surface are equipped with infrared sensors which enable them to detect heat," NORAD's web site explains. "Amazingly, Rudolph's bright red nose gives off an infrared signature which allow our satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa."
In addition to finding out where Santa is online, families can also turn to NORAD to track Santa on their cell phones.
In cities around the country, families and aviation officials are also on the lookout. The Dallas-Fort Worth airport, for instance, "has it on good authority that Santa will be landing at DFW between 11 p.m. and midnight Christmas Eve," according to a Monday press release.
Starting on Christmas Eve, children can track Santa and his reindeers' journey online as he flies through Texas, thanks to the airport's "one-of-a-kind navigational technology." Families can also call 972-586-NOEL (6635) for an update on his whereabouts.
"Santa is scheduled to arrive on the west airfield on runway 18 left / 36 right, guided by the FAA, he will have easy access to the Airport's General Aviation facility for his quick refueling stop," said Ken Capps, vice president of public affairs for the Dallas Fort-Worth Airport. "Last year he only stopped long enough for a 'wink of his eye and a twist of his head.'"
-ABC News' Kate Barrett
December 23, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (1)
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Does that mean Santa's sleigh has a transponder? What if he turns it off? Will NORAD still be able to track him? If he goes off course and refuses to respond, how long will it take F-15s to intercept him?
Wasn't there a NORAD drill involving a simulated crash of Santa's sleigh into the World Trade Center?
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2008/09/13/what-truth-to-power-looks-like/
Posted by: ghost | Dec 23, 2008 11:01:30 PM
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