Must Be a Tower Flower

It’s a cute story...but the guy must be a Tower guy.

What type of aircraft (non-sled) would Santa fly?

”Without fail, on these nights, a phantom flight plan will go through ATC facilities with the call sign SANTA1. The four-letter identifier for this “flight” is something like SLEI or SLED, or once even SR71. The more imaginative of those who put in these flight plans include in the remarks “trailing a flight of eight reindeer, non-standard lighting”, the non-standard being the non-aviation red only Rudolph.“

Every Center controller knows the correct format for entering Santa’s flight plan.

Callsign: SANTA1
Type: H/SLED/I (Heavy/Sled/Inertial Navigation Equipment)
Speed: SC (Speed Classified)
Altitude: 000B175 (From the Ground to 17,500 feet)
Route: 0000/0000..POLAR1..0000/0000 (North Pole, around the world and back)

And just to keep the rookies (and ‘roach controllers) out of trouble...yes, that is a real speed and yes, the Boss will come down to the sector and ask you if you’re stupid or if you just don’t like being a controller. Check the 7110.10 T -- 6-2-1 -d. The Boss doesn’t like getting calls from NORAD. It makes him lose his place on Mine Sweeper.

Don Brown
December 26, 2008