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United States NORAD ready to track Santa's progress on Christmas Eve journey
NORAD has announced its CF-18 pilots, maintainers and trackers who will be tasked with monitoring and escorting Santa as he completes his magical journey through Canadian airspace tonight.
As Santa makes his yuletide journey around the world, CF-18 escort pilots and maintainers chosen from 3 Wing Bagotville, Que., and 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta., and trackers from the Canadian Air Defence Sector at 22 Wing North Bay, Ont, will have the watch.
NORAD is a bi-national U.S. and Canadian command charged with aerospace and maritime warning and aerospace control of North America. However, every year during the holidays, NORAD assumes the supplementary mission of tracking Santa as he travels safely around the world.
“The dedicated members of the Canadian NORAD Region keep watchful eyes over our airspace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, tracking everything that flies in and around North America. This capability also enables us to escort Santa safely through Canadian airspace on December 24th. Ensuring Santa’s safe passage so that he can continue his journey of goodwill and cheer is a big responsibility, and something we take great pride in,” says Maj.-Gen. Eric Kenny.
Santa trackers from 21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron at 22 Wing North Bay include Capt. Darren Ashton (of Scarborough, Ont.), United States Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Lombard (of Baltimore, Md.) and Cpl. William Jodoin (of Victoria). Their duty is to maintain radio contact with Santa and his escort pilots as he travels across Canada.
From 3 Wing, Capt. Jean-Sébastien Otis (of Charlesbourg, Que.) and Capt. Michael Lachance (of Winnipeg) will serve as Santa’s escort pilots, while Master Cpl. Patrick Dallaire (of : Rivière-des-Prairies, Que.) and Cpl. Francis Beaulieu (of Chicoutimi, Que.) will form the maintenance team.
From 4 Wing, Capt. Jesse Haggart-Smith (of Maple Ridge, B.C.) and Capt. Jacob Naccarato (of Windsor, Ont.), are this year’s escort pilots, with Sgt. Chad Peacey (of Duncan, B.C.) and Cpl. Zach Bailie (of Scarborough, Ont.) serving as maintainers.
The NORAD Tracks Santa website includes a holiday countdown, games, activities, information regarding NORAD’s mission of defending North America, and more.
