Maybe it was fate that had one little boy dial the wrong phone number in search of Santa so many years ago, or maybe it was magic.
For over 60 years, NORAD has been escorting Santa across north America, and this Christmas Eve is no different.
The tradition started in 1955, when a child accidentally called the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Centre (CONAD), now known as NORAD.
“He asked them where Santa Claus was and they were all good sports about it and played along. They tracked Santa for the kid, and it became a yearly tradition,” described Capt. Mike Bukhman, one of Santa’s local escorts for this year.
On Dec. 24, pilots around the globe will wait anxiously for their opportunity to fly alongside Old St. Nick.
Among them will be pilots from 4 Wing Cold Lake, including Bukhman, who will be taking part for the first time this year.
“Being one of the young (pilots), the onus is on us to step up and volunteer,” he said, adding it’s also an opportunity for him to share this experience with some of the younger members in his family.
“It’s pretty cool for them, and they think it’s something really fun for me to do.”
Bukhman believes NORAD has carried on the tradition for many reasons. He said it gives their members a chance to train and develop their systems, while giving back to the community and keeping Santa safe.
“It’s a fun time. It gets us into the spirit of the holidays,” he detailed.
According to Bukhman, the program runs on volunteers.
At any given time on Christmas Eve, families can call 1-877-HI-NORAD, visit noradsanta.org, or send an email to [email protected].
They can also ask Alexa or use OnStar to keep tabs on Santa’s location.
Bukhman said Santa doesn’t provide 4 Wing or NORAD any time frames on when he will be flying through.
“Only Santa knows that. We don’t know his flight plan, we just know when he is going airborne. We don’t direct the show, we just escort,” expressed Bukhman. “We follow him as best as we can.”
He continued, “This is really a great opportunity for us to fly alongside Santa, and just follow someone around who is just that good at his job.”
Bukhman said he is always amazed by how fast and precise Santa can fly, even though he only does it once every year.
“People always ask me what I’m most impressed by when it comes to Santa, and I always tell them it’s the fact that he only flies once a year and he is able to get it right every single time. I have to train and fly every couple of days to stay sharp, Santa flies once a year and he still gets it done every single time, without fail.”
