Hey gang – I just received word that Sector 5 will soon be the location for the first heavy weather test flights of Santa’s sleigh. We believe these test flights will begin in about 10 days to 2 weeks.

That gives us more time to recruit weather tracking elves in our sector.

Of particular focus will be the American Southwest, where seasonal monsoonal moisture typically arrives in early August each year. Additionally, far Northern Canada above the Arctic Circle will also be the scene for test flights focused on cold and frosty conditions.

We may even see some test flights centered over the North Atlantic and, later during the month of September, over the Gulf of Mexico as hurricane season arrives.

These diverse locations will require the time and reporting skill of weather tracker elves. Please let me know if you are interest.

Attention elves of Sector 4! The Santa Tracking Map goes live tomorrow and starting then you can track the progress of the test flights of Santa’s sleigh.

Please note that we will need a few days before we start requesting information from you. It all begins here in Sector 4. We’ve been up and running for a few months, so they are starting flights here. Also, it is winter in many parts of our sector and that’s great for test flying sleighs.

There are 12 prototype sleighs here now. They are, with the reindeer, based for the moment at one of Santa’s reindeer ranches. That is in Argentina. But they will not be based there long.

In fact, by the time all the other sectors are set-up and ready, there will be a “base” in each one. For the first several weeks the reindeer will train together but in time there may be test flights going on in more than one sector at a time.

The season of test flying Santa’s sleigh is a long one. In fact, it goes right up until just a few hours before Santa’s launch in most year. We expect this year to be no different.

What WILL be different is that we will be collecting local information from you, our tracker elf team, for months ahead of Santa’s actual flight. That means we need you paying attention and ready to report as the needs arise.

This is an exciting time and we’re glad you’re here for the ride with us!

Test flights of Santa’s sleigh are scheduled to begin in Sector 4 starting sometime on Monday, July 26th, North Pole Flight Command has announced.

We are not sure yet if the tracking map for those first flights will be ready or not by that date. We are expecting an announcement from Elf Tubby Ryder, elf supervisor for Sector 4. Since that tracking center was the first announced and thus the one center most ready we are thinking the odds are pretty good that the map will be ready.

12 prototype sleighs have already been positioned at a reindeer ranch in Argentina. Two full teams of test flight reindeer are already in South America at the same ranch to be readied for the launch of the sleighs. We are awaiting word to know if the flights will work around the clock or if they will only be scheduled at certain times of the day.

Because of the late start to the test flight program many assume the flight schedule will be aggressive.

Once we know the first few weeks of the schedule we will share that information with you.

Mistletoe, Kentucky will be home to the regional tracking center for Sector 5, covering North and Central America. Elf Pinky and team have been recorded by North Pole Flight Command as being already in the area to get the tracking center set up. They are hoping to have it online by the time test flights of Santa’s sleigh begin.

Mistletoe, Kentucky looks like it is in the middle of everything if you look at it on a map. But on the ground it’s a different story. The place is remote, fairly free of a lot of residents, and ideal for setting up a complex tracking center that makes use of a lot of technology.

Here’s a shot Pinky sent us from her arrival there a few days ago:

As you can see, there are not many people there.

But Pinky told me she has already been “found out”. A local man, who just happens to be a freelance elf, spotted Pinky at a local store and guessing it might be her just because of her pink hair, blurted out, “Is that Elf Pinky?”

Pinky was not expecting to have anyone spot her. But she turned her head as he said that he couldn’t help but say, “As I live and breathe, I’ve seen my first genuine elf!”

Elf Pinky had no choice but to introduce herself. The man – he goes by Elf Wonderboy – said he has worked as a tracker elf for “many years” and wondered if Santa would ever bring the Regional Tracking center to Mistletoe. “It just makes sense,” he said. “I think it is the perfect place for it.”

Elf Wonderboy did explain how big of a deal Christmas is in Kentucky. He said it is a southern place that gets a touch of snow every now and then, despite it’s low elevation. He said because of that people in Kentucky count down the days until Santa comes and pray for snow every year. He said it does not happen often. But, he said, almost everyone puts up lights and everyone does have a tree:

He told Pinky that there are a lot of Santa trackers in Kentucky, even many that she does not know about. He called Kentucky “the cream of Sector 5”.

It may be a few days until we start hearing from this new regional HQ. Pinky said they were “having fun” getting all the power and Internet they need.

But they should be online soon.

North Pole Flight Command has announced the location for the regional tracking center in Sector 1 will be located in Wiseman’s Creek, Australia this year. Evidently Elf Randi and a team of set-up elves have been there already for a week getting things ready.

That leaves just two sectors yet to announce – Sectors 3 and 5. Flight Command says they will announce those locations this week.

Wisemans Creek is a small New South Wales Rural Location within the local government area of Oberon. Wisemans Creek has a recorded population of 113 residents and is within the Australian Eastern Daylight Time zone Australia/Sydney. Here’s an image of the area, which actually shows very few buildings:

I don’t know how old that picture is but I don’t see many buildings there. This kind of location is, however, just what North Pole Flight Command likes – rural, remote and not many people. The work of tracking Santa for Santa requires privacy and concentration. I have a feeling Sector 1 will be a high performer this year from this location.

The announcement comes ahead of a new schedule for test flights of Santa’s sleigh. There is no word yet if Sector 1 will be ready for the start of those flights or not.