Thu, Dec 24, 2009
At Least He's Good Through U.S. NAS
Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt braved
snow, ice and foggy conditions at North Pole International Airport
to give Santa Claus and his sleigh a thumbs-up for the jolly old
pilot's traditional round-the-world Christmas Eve mission.
During a 90-minute check ride, Administrator Babbitt, a former
airline pilot, made sure Santa can properly execute the demanding
maneuvers and precision rooftop landings inherent in making toy
deliveries. He also checked that the sleigh's deicing equipment,
reindeer propulsion system and communications and navigation
systems are working properly. In addition, the Administrator
verified Santa has policies in place to guarantee he and his elves
will have a proper rest period before the long, all-night
mission.
While the elves will have WiFi inflight internet access, St.
Nick stressed he will strictly enforce his longstanding ban on
distractions in the cockpit.
"Santa and his crew have always shown extraordinary
professionalism in the cockpit," said FAA Administrator Babbitt
"I'm certain they'll pull off the flight without a hitch."
This year, Santa has several Next Generation Air Transportation
System (NextGen) technology improvements at his disposal to make
the annual trip safer and more reindeer-feed-efficient. Talk about
your bio-fuels ...
For example, North Pole International Airport (KNPI?) boasts a
new ASDE-X ground surveillance radar system to help St. Nick avoid
marauding polar bears and the occasional Grinch. Santa's sleigh
(registration N0EL) boasts all the necessary electronics to use
Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP),
approaches the FAA has in place to help Santa easily reach
children's homes. The sleigh also has an Automatic Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) component that pinpoints its
position for air traffic controllers and other aircraft throughout
the flight.
Mindful of environmental issues, Santa has incorporated several
Earth-friendly features this year. Rudolph's bright red nose and
the sleigh's warning and decorative lights are all powered by
energy-saving LEDs.
We expect Santa has likely been given specialized clearance
through any Presidential TFR's ...
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