NORAD Prepares to Track Santa’s Flight

North American Aerospace Defense Command News Release ^

[SandRat]

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Dec. 1, 2014 – The North American Aerospace Defense Command’s NORAD Tracks Santa website, http://www.noradsanta.org/ , launched today featuring a mobile version, a holiday countdown, new games and daily activities and more.

The website is available in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Official NORAD Tracks Santa apps are also available in the Windows, Apple and Google Play stores, so parents and children can countdown the days until Santa’s launch on their smart phones and tablets. Tracking opportunities are also offered on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+. Santa followers just need to type “@noradsanta” into each search engine to get started.

North Pole Elves

Also new this year, the website features Santa’s elves in the North Pole Village. NORAD Tracks Santa is introducing the newest elf and asking the public to help choose the perfect name for him. Details can be found via NORAD Tracks Santa social media or in the “Name the Elf” video in Santa’s North Pole Movie Theater at www.noradsanta.org.

Starting at 12:01 a.m. MST on Dec. 24, website visitors can watch Santa make preparations for his flight. NORAD’s “Santa Cams” will stream videos on the website as Santa makes his way over various locations.

Then, at 4 a.m. MST (6 a.m. EST), trackers worldwide can speak with a live phone operator to inquire as to Santa’s whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or by sending an email to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com. Any time on Dec. 24, Windows Phone users can ask Cortana for Santa’s location, and OnStar subscribers can press the OnStar button in their vehicles to find Santa.

Santa-tracking is Global Experience

NORAD Tracks Santa is a global experience, delighting generations of families everywhere. This is due, in large part, to the efforts and services of numerous program contributors.

This year’s contributors include: the 21st Space Wing, Acuity Scheduling, Alaska NORAD Region, America Forces Network (AFN), Analytical Graphics, Inc., Avaya, BeMerry! Santa/Noerr Program, Bing®, Canadian NORAD Region, The Citadel Mall, Colorado Springs Business Alliance, Continental NORAD Region, CradlePoint, Defense Video & Imagery Distributions Systems, DoD News, Federal Aviation Administration, Globelink Foreign Language Center, Harris, Hewlett Packard (HP), iLink-Systems, Kids.gov, Level 3 Communications, Marine Toys for Tots, Foundation, Meshbox, Microsoft®, Microsoft® Azure, Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific, National Tree Lighting Ceremony, Naturally Santa’s Inc., Newseum, OnStar, PCI Broadband, Portable North Pole/ Ugroup Media, Pueblo Riverwalk, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Colorado, Space Foundation, Spil Games, SriiusXM®, Strategic Air & Space Museum, Unity, U.S. Allegiance, U.S. Air Force Academy Band, U.S. Air Force Band of Liberty, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, U.S. Air Force Band of the West, U.S. Air Force Band, U.S. Air Force Heartland of America Band, U.S. Army Ground Forces Band, U.S. Coast Guard Band, U.S. Department of State Family Liaison Office, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Band of MidAmerica, Verizon, Visionbox, West Point Band, and Xtomic.

NORAD Tracks Santa started in 1955 when a local media advertisement directed children to call Santa direct -- only the number was misprinted. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the crew commander on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center. Thus, began the tradition, which NORAD has carried on since it was created in 1958.

[Paladin2]

NORAD needs to be tracking AF1 and the Anti-Christ....

[SamAdams76]

"Seriously, Clark?"

[SkyDancer]

Leaving China with all his toys and goodies ....

[Caipirabob]

"This NORAD, can you repeat that request?"

"I said blow that white-privileged fatman out of the sky or I'll..."

[SamAdams76]

[PROCON]

Too late...

[Gefn]

I wish I could answer the kids calls too there.

Watching Santa on NORAD is a holiday tradition for me.

[DanielRedfoot]

Hahahahahahahah!!!!!!

[hoagy62]

Oh...and almost ALL of the costs are paid for by corporate sponsors...NOT the government.

I love that NORAD does this.

[dfwgator]

[SandRat]

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

*** The North American Aerospace Defense Command’s NORAD Tracks Santa ***

I HATE THIS! Back in 1962, we had just had the Cuban Missile crisis and we were all on edge.
That Christmas eve, while watching TV there was a sudden “BREAKING NEWS!” FLASH on the TV that NORAD had picked up something coming over from the arctic! The pucker factor kicked in!
We all gathered around! Was this IT! Were the Russians attacking? sweat began to pop out.

Then the TV showed a poor quality Santa in a sleigh with cotton clouds passing over him.

We were MAD, because of the fear it instilled in us at that time. We were RELIEVED that it was just the Santa joke.

I still hate this every Christmas eve.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

*** The North American Aerospace Defense Command’s NORAD Tracks Santa ***

I HATE THIS! Back in 1962, we had just had the Cuban Missile crisis and we were all on edge.
That Christmas eve, while watching TV there was a sudden “BREAKING NEWS!” FLASH on the TV that NORAD had picked up something coming over from the arctic! The pucker factor kicked in!
We all gathered around! Was this IT! Were the Russians attacking? sweat began to pop out.

Then the TV showed a poor quality Santa in a sleigh with cotton clouds passing over him.

We were MAD, because of the fear it instilled in us at that time. We were RELIEVED that it was just the Santa joke.

I still hate this every Christmas eve.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

SEE! SEE how this made me double post! I hate it! HATE IT!
For all we know it might be Al Quida or ISIS flying planes toward the US!

[CodeToad]

We had a controller at NORAD who was a newbie and it was her first time generating a “track” for Santa. She was from Romanian and didn’t understand what was going on. She thought we were the weirdest people for doing this. As a kid I always waited for NORAD to track Santa and I found myself involved with it. Gotta say, it was one of the coolest things to participate in. We knew there were countless kids rushing to bed as we announced Santa was coming and they had better be asleep when he got there.

[PeteB570]

Saw that same Santa and it was low quality.

I was in the second grade then and living on a SAC Base with a bunch of B-52s.

All us kids had to bring in blankets and pillows that were stored in the utility tunnels under the school. Each classroom had an access hatch in the floor.

At the practice alarm the teacher would open the hatch, drop her chair in and all the students would pile in. She would keep it cracked open with a book until the all clear was given.

Funny - it didn’t give any of us PTSD and we didn’t need counseling.

[Excellence]

I need win8.1 for the app. Dang.

[Terry L Smith]

Better round up all the stinking moooslims first, so that they can’t grab a shoulder-fired SAM, as they did off Long Island Sound!

[Seattle Conservative]

We’ve used the NORAD Santa tracking site with my nephew and family friends’ children over the years. It’s fun as there are games to play, etc., but it can be an aid to parents and grandparents trying to get excited kids to bed. Since we live in the Seattle area, we’d say something like, Wow, Santa is in Montana, you better hurry and get to bed as Santa won’t come until you’re asleep :-)

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!

Best,
SC

Here’s a direct link to the NORAD Santa tracking site:
http://www.noradsanta.org/?utm_source=PR%20Blog&utm_medium=PR&utm_content=Exploring%20IE%20Blog%20Post&utm_campaign=NORAD2014