North Pole Navy on the Move

The North Pole Navy is repositioning for later coordination this next week with flights of Santa’s sleigh. We’re not sure if that means our Sector or Sectors 4 or 5, so I’m just passing along the news. We can anticipate several days of test flights over the Pacific…somewhere.

The coordination with the North Pole Navy is interesting. They serve as floating tracking centers most of the time but they are also emergency landing zones for flying sleighs. Santa has never had to use one that way but a few freighter sleighs and other kinds of flights have found the North Pole Navy to be quite helpful, especially in resting reindeer and breaking up long flights.

Each ship has food, water, medical facilities for both elves and reindeer and even a remote sleigh repair shop. They are there to help if help is needed.

They have already been working on communications with the Navy and that is going well.

But the purpose of these flights, I’m told, is to test sleigh capabilities over open waters. These are very important tests because Santa spends much of his flying time over the oceans.

They will be testing how the sleigh performs in both high and low altitudes, loaded and unloaded, and fast and slow speeds. These tests will be conducted both night and day.

This won’t be a great week for possible sleigh sightings….until maybe later in the week.

One of us will let you know. It depends on where they are going next and weather conditions they want to encounter. Right now, we are not sure where that will be.

I would just tell all sectors to be ready to submit weather reports, especially around the end of the week. So heads up!

Reports Slowly Coming In

Reports to North Pole Flight Command are a little slow to come in. This is expected.

Hello everyone, Elf Flip here, with an update on our goal this year. In the past, I have updated you on the number of tracker elves recruited each year. With the change of focus to tracker elf reports, my job changes slightly.

Our goal, as announced at the annual tracker elf press conference at the North Pole in July, is to get 1 billion tracker reports. We have a little more than 3,000 reports as of this morning.

I know it sounds like a tiny little dent towards our goal. But I would remind you that last year at this time we had 0 reports by this point in the season.

Some here at Flight Command feel that part of the reason for the low number is because tracker elves for the most part haven’t even checked in yet.

And it is easy to see why that is true. In many parts of the world it is still summertime and many are on vacations. Some elves haven’t even thought of Christmas yet. As elves wake up to the fact that Santa’s flight is soon to be only 100 or so days away, they will come back and check in.

So nobody is really panicked about the report totals. It’s going to happen.

I have spoken to each elf supervisor. They are all very pleased so far with the quality of reports coming in. In fact, there are no issues at this time to tell you about.

Yes, we have a long way to go to that goal. And we recognize that the vast majority of reports will be coming in November and December.

I think it is safe to say that as of right now, we are right on target.

Weather Report Requested

We need a WEATHER REPORT from all areas of Sector 5 by August 15th from all available elves.

NOTE for FREELANCE ELVES: Please use the standard freelance elf report for this request.

No, we do not have a schedule yet for test flights of Santa’s sleigh in our sector. This report is requested because we have North Pole scout teams coming to North and Central America in advance of test flights later this month. The weather report is for them.

As far as when we will see the test flights in our sector all I can tell you is that it will happen on very short notice. Maybe a day or two in advance we might learn of it. So please be paying attention.

I’m being told that they likely won’t need much from us but I’d still like you all to be on alert just to see if we can be the first sector to report a sleigh sighting this year. That hasn’t happened yet and I’d like to be the first, ya know?

Some of you have expressed concern about our regional tracking center here in Mistletoe, Kentucky. Yes, I know that recent flooding in nearby areas have been a concern. But please be assured that we are all okay. The barn – which is really where our tracking center is, truth be told – sits at the top of a hill. While we can see flooded areas close by where we are is totally fine and we’re operating without issue.

Thank you for your concern.

 

Sector 2 Activated

Attention all elves of Sector 2: I am pleased to report that the regional tracking center in lovely downtown Bethlehem, Palestine is now operational. As such, I can also announced that we need to activate all elves in the sector.

That means we need to get an ELF STATUS REPORT from each of you by August 24th, and the sooner the better.

This is not a drill. It’s the real deal and it counts.

As far as test flights of Santa’s sleigh I’m told there is a plan to at least brush by our sector sometime in the coming weeks. I don’t yet have details but as soon as I know you will know.

I will slowly be sending out requests for reports, some for training purposes and some for real. So please be sure to check back here on SantaTrackers.net for further instructions.

Thanks, elves!

Santa’s Sleigh Flight Tests Over Sector 1

Elves of Sector 1 – we’re on the clock!

All 12 of the test sleighs are in rotation over the skies of Sector 1. It appears they will be here for several days.

I do not have an exact flight plan for the next week but I was told to prepare for flights over New Zealand and Australia. Maybe Japan later in the week. There will be lots of over-the-water flights, especially at night, I’m told.

For now, any weather reports you can share from your local area would be helpful. Flight Command has not asked for any area in particular, which is not unusual for this time in the test flight schedule.

Of course, if you see any sleighs in flights please be sure to report them via the appropriate report. I think our best chances for sightings would be over New Zealand or Australia. We will certainly be watching the skies here in Wiseman’s Creek.

Thanks to all Sector 1 elves who have sent in their Elf Status Report as well.

Nothing else is needed at this time but check in often, okay?

I will keep you posted.

Sector 5 Now Activated

Hi, Kids. Hahaha. Sorry. That was a dumb way to start this.

I’m activating the sector today. This is official. This counts. So make sure you do this right. Go to the Elf Status Report and give me an idea of your availability.

Remember, the Elf Status Report is one you can use at any time. Yes, there will be times I will ask you to update it. But I know many of you have a lot of stuff going on right now. Some are going on vacation, others are heading back to school. Your status could and probably will change a lot over the next couple of months.

Whenever a change is upon you, just update your Elf Status Report. We’ll work with what you have going on.

And speaking of things going on – frankly, I’m not exactly sure when we’re going to see much action in Sector 5. It seems Flight Command is changing their tune nearly every day.

I think some of that has to the with the weather. In much of Sector 5 right now it is dry and hot. I think they want to test right now in cooler climates. So I think they will be sticking to the south for a while. They keep sending me mixed signals on that, so don’t take it as gospel truth. If there is an official change, I’ll let you know.

But as other elf supervisors have indicated, I think the tests are headed into the South Pacific for a few days before venturing into Sector 1. I think after that they may drift over towards us.

However it plays out, I want to be ready. I see no reason not to activate and to begin our own little tests.

So be on your toes! I may test you with a request even IF we don’t have test flights in our area.

Toodles.

Sector 1 Now Activated

Greetings from Wiseman’s Creek. We are sufficiently operational to announce that all Sector 1 trackers can now officially report their elf status: let’s see who is on the job! Click here to fill in the report

All Sector 1 elves should report their status no later than August 23rd.

We are doing this now because there is a chance the test flights of Santa’s sleigh will be headed to Sector 1 next week. We received word today that they will remain in Sector 4 “for three or four more days” before heading out over the South Pacific for the first of many over-the-water tests. Their generation direction will be south and west of the coast of Chile.

That could mean they are headed our way  later. We want to be ready for them.

As a reminder, we are looking for some more weather analysts in our sector. If you have previously applied there is no need to apply again. I will be in contact with you soon.

 

Sector 4 Elves Report Required

With Santa’s sleigh in our sector now and set to remain so over the next couple of days, I have decided to accept Elf Status reports from you effective immediately.

I am requesting that all Sector 4 elves – Freelance and North Pole elves alike – to please send in an Elf Status Report via this link before August 31st, 2022.

This one counts. If you have questions, please ask on the Elf Wall.

I am especially anxious to see if we get any of the new Sleigh Sighting Reports in the next few days. Sleighs are active in our sector right now, 24 hours a day. It is very possible for them to be seen.

Are there more report requests coming?

Answer: yes. As the test flights travel from Sector to Sector we will be asking for all kinds of reports, especially weather reports. Even when the test flights are NOT in our sector we will be asking for some reports.

We are live. We are active. And you should all be paying attention and ready to respond.

Official: Sector 3 Online

I see no reason to wait further: I have activated Sector 3.

This means that all tracker elves in Sector 3 need to file a status report. You can do so at this link: ELF STATUS REPORT. Please complete this by August 21st. If no response is received from elves working Sector 3 we will record you as “inactive”.

This is not a drill. Repeat: this is not a drill. This one counts. Please follow directions.

I do not yet have the flight schedule for Sector 3 test flights. And we do not yet have selected our weather analyst elves. I hope to address that in the next few days. I will keep you informed.

Just so you know, the regional tracking center located here in Bethlehem, South Africa is not 100% ready for business. But we have communication set up with North Pole Flight Command and we should be fully operational within the next four or five days.

We are sufficiently along where going active was possible. So I did it.

Merry Christmas, Sector 3. Let’s show them all what we can do.

Sector 1 Soon to Activate

Elves of Sector 1 – wake up!

Flight Command has just issued a test flight schedule update and we’re on it. We’re still setting up the Regional tracking center here in Wiseman’s Creek and we have some bugs to work out. But since the sleigh flights are going to test somewhere over our sector soon I have no choice but to advise that activation will take place soon.

What does activation mean?

It means we can start having elves update their status, we can report on sleigh sightings, we can contribute any kinds of reports that Flight Command needs to help with the test flights of Santa’s sleigh.

It means, we’re on the job!

So, ready or not here in Wiseman’s Creek, we’re going to have trackers in our Sector tracking stuff soon. Please stand by for more information as it become available to me.

 

Sector 5 Nears Activation

Hi Elf Friends – I send you greetings from Mistletoe, Kentucky where the regional tracking center is getting ready for the first flight activity over Sector 5. It’s coming very soon.

I’m writing today to let you know that we will be activating as a sector very soon. That’s because North Pole Flight Command has informed us that the test flights of Santa’s sleigh are headed for Northern Mexico and the South West of the United States very soon.

Once I have more concrete information I will activate the sector. With that status I can begin receiving reports from you.

That means you need to be paying attention. DO NOT SEND ANY REPORTS YET. I’m just letting you know it is happening very soon. Like, within a few days. So stand-by. Okay?

New Report Added for Trackers

A new report has been added to the Trackers Report menu. It’s called the Sleigh Sighting Report and it is for those elves who believe they have seen a sleigh in flight.

The Elf Supervisors specifically asked for this report to be added in advance of tracking the test flights of Santa’s sleigh. They said that with so many sleighs in flights this was a very common occurrence last year.

Elf Pinky reported that her regional tracking center alone last year received more than 40,000 reports of sleigh sightings.

“It is not hard to see how this can happen,” Elf Pinky said. “We have right now 12 prototype sleighs testing around the clock. That’s more than 100 flights a day and they go all over the place, day and night. Then, in the hours before Santa launches and even when he is in flight the North Pole sends up tens of thousands of sleighs in support of Santa. Those are airlift sleighs moving freight, scout sleighs, transport sleighs moving elves all over the place, reindeer support sleighs and weather tracking sleighs – how is it possible that people DON’T see more sleighs on Christmas Eve?

So if you have seen a sleigh North Pole Flight Command wants to know about it. You can access the new report from this link, or by clicking on Tracker Reports in the menu above.