NORAD ready to track santa

[yesthattom]

In 1955, a Sears & Roebuck store in Colorado Springs, CO ran an advertisement announcing a hotline children could call to talk with Old Saint Nick himself. Because of a misprint, instead of connecting to Santa, callers were directed to the Commander-in-Chief’s Operations hotline at NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command--in other words, the infamous “red-phone.”

The person that answered the phone pretended to be Santa and handled every call.

Following this, NORAD started producing “tracking reports” for Santa. They announce official flight plan approvals at a press conference every year, they provide updates over the course of the night, etc. For the last few years they’ve even had a web site. For the last few years it has been a Google project, with Google Earth KML files, YouTube videos, etc.

This year’s web site is ready to roll: http://www.noradsanta.org/

(Oh, and this year you can track Santa from you mobile phone.)

Comments

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

That is sweet, that they answered the kids' calls!

[gravitrue.livejournal.com]

One time a software company called Intercon got a new 800 number for something. Soon after it was installed it rang, with someone trying to contact the organization which formerly had the number. Which was a suicide hotline. The Intercon folks stayed there answering phones for several hours into the evening until they could get the number rerouted to an active hotline organization.

[rainbear.livejournal.com]

I remember, as a kid, getting phone calls from Santa. I forget if it was something that Ma Bell did, or if it was a town thing--or if Mom & Dad called a number and handed me the phone, or if the phone rang and we answered it.. but I remember talking to a real live person who said they were Santa Claus.

Then again, we were the kind of household where nothing went up until I went to bed on Christmas Eve. When I woke up on Christmas day, I'd find the tree, the stockings, and all the decorations up. And, of course, the 1/2 eaten plate of cookies & carrots with a glass of milk for Santa & the reindeer.

I'm feeling a blog post coming on..

[fengshui.livejournal.com]

There's a group here in santa barbara that answers the 800-santaclause line too. :)

[naughty-halo.livejournal.com]

You are so cool. Thank you for always sharing.

[emboline.livejournal.com]

I remember my parents showing me something like this when I was little. My dad was a airforce guy and was explaining flight paths and such to me, and he said, "And they even track Santa's flight path.. I can prove it!" And I always called Santa every year.

Amazing the lengths our parents would go to get us to believe. And kind of scary.

[cinema-babe.livejournal.com]

Awesome, thanks for reminding me about this. I sent this on to my sister so her kids are now learning geography as they track Santa's trip. :)