Schedule Change Announcement

Due to circumstances related to Operation Airlift we have decided to move up the check-in process worldwide.

Check-ins will be announced via your Elf Supervisor beginning on Saturday, December 21st instead of our original plan of the 22nd.

Tracker Check-in is a process that tells your Elf Supervisor that you are or are not available to work tracking Santa for Santa.

We remind you that Santa is very concerned for your time with your family during this important season. As such, do not feel bad if you cannot be available all the time between the 21st and when Santa arrives at your home.

We appreciate what time you can dedicate to the cause of tracking Santa for Santa.

It is anticipated that this weekend will be filled with news and direction from the Elf Supervisors.

We invite you to participate, if your schedule allows, in the scheduled North Pole chat set for Sunday, December 22nd. I will be hosting that chat and will be able to share and answer questions about the latest in the status of Operation Merry Christmas.

Operation Airlift is off schedule. North Pole Flight Command has had to modify their original plans due to difficulties in getting sleighs launched from the North Pole.

As such, we anticipate this weekend will be filled with a lot of breaking news. We may be asking for reports or observations from local areas that go beyond the norm.

If time allows, Elf Frank and I will likely release a new SantaTrackers.net Podcast to discuss issues this weekend as well.

I encourage you all to read what Elf Ed Zachary posted earlier today. It may help you understand the challenges we are facing as a team in helping Santa get around the world.

As for Santa, he is well aware of the situation and is monitoring things. He plans to continue his visits with believers. At this time, he does not plan a return to the North Pole at a different time than scheduled. He continues to check in with Elf Roger Star on the status of Operation Airlift.

Santa has instructed me to check in with him every 12 hours. Those quick check-ins are by phone and I remain ready to not only forward our questions and concerns to Santa but also to receive his direction.

I will be posting as needed over the next several days so that you know what is going on and how you can help during this time.

Thank you.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Report Today if You Can

Elves of Sector 1 – you’ve seen the other sectors requesting this and we’re going to do the same. Santa himself is asking for a Local Christmas Report from all areas.

Please go here to fill out the report. 

The feeling is that the Christmas Spirit may not be strong this year. Is this true where you are? Santa is trying to get this figured out.

Please send in your report as soon as you can.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Transit Report Needed

Elves of Sector 1, I send you greetings from Japan.

Flight Command is requesting a Transit Report from us as soon as we can provide it. They are trying to understand traffic patterns in every country. I think this will apply mostly to larger cities.

It is rare to get this kind of request. I’m guessing they want to know what might have changed since the last time Santa was there.

If you can send in this report, please do so. Here’s the link for it.

Thanks.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

What All Elves Should Be Doing Right Now

Hi Elves!

Crash here – if you are new and you don’t know me, my name is Elf Crash Murphy and I’m the International Director of Santa Trackers. We makes me, more or less, the Head Elf, YOUR Head Elf, your boss’ boss. In my humble way, I’m here to tell ya what to do.

Now, if you follow along at SantaUpdate.com – and you should – then you likely know me from my North Pole Radio News reports as that guy who follows Santa every Christmas Eve and gives out news reports. That’s my Christmas Eve job, and it makes me, well, some people like to call me, the Ultimate Santa Tracker.

Anyway, if you’re new and don’t know what to do, relax. We’ll get you trained. There are lots of elves here to help you.

Right now and for the next five weeks or so we will be getting lots of new elves. There’s always mass confusion because a new elf wants to do everything. They want to tell other elves what to do, they want every elf job out there and they want to ride with Santa on his sleigh.

Well, again, relax. Ain’t none of that is going to happen because you are a new elf. And you have to learn to be the tracker elf you are before you get to do any of that stuff.

So, relax! We’ve all been there. Once upon a time we were all new elves.

So what should you be doing? Glad you asked!

I got together with all the Elf Supervisors and made this list. I’m banning the posting of news until at least the first part of next week (Monday, November 25th), so that you can catch up with the following things:

  1. If you are a freelance elf, READ EVERYTHING. Then send in your first freelance elf reportIn that first report I want you to just give us a status on yourself and your availability to track Santa for Santa up until Christmas Eve.
  2. If you are a North Pole elf and a member here of the Elf Community here at SantaTrackers.net, I want you to first get your profile set. You should put the word “Elf” in front of your name on your profile. You should have an avatar that represents YOU. And you should have a cover photo, which is placed behind your avatar on your profile. There are lots of elves and tutorials on the site to help you get this done.
  3. Then, no matter what kind of elf you are, I want you to go read everything at Elf University. Learn your Sector. Figure out who your Elf Supervisor is. You are tracking Santa for Santa – that means you will be communicating with the North Pole through your tracker reports. Take all this really seriously and learn how to do it FAST.
  4. Find the page to Santa Tracker Radio – and listen to it. It’s great. On December 23rd you’re all going to be listening to it because that’s when North Pole Radio News broadcasts the Tracking Santa around the World radio show. It’s very famous and you’ll hear me on there now and then.
  5. Then go listen to a few past episodes of the Santa Tracker Podcast. New episodes will be coming out soon and you will need to know where to find them. The older episodes all have great information about how to be a tracker elf.

Now let me give you some stuff NOT to do:

  1. Don’t tell others what to do. Elf Moe is just itching to ban elves who don’t belong here because they get a big head because they’re an elf. We don’t do that. BE NICE.
  2. If you’re new, don’t even think of trying to get an additional elf job unless Elf Sandy Claus in Elf Resources says you can apply for something. Most jobs require a lot of points and at least one year of service. So if you’re new, you won’t get any of the jobs being posted.
  3. Don’t give up. Being an elf is not easy. Lots of other elves here will help you. You will get it and Santa needs you.

Ok, now let me just ask our veteran elves who have been here more than a year to do a few things:

  1. If there are new jobs posted by Elf Sandy Claus, please consider applying for them.
  2. Please help the new elves in everyway you can.
  3. Please help new elves you know to sign up at SantaTrackers.net. We need more GOOD elves.
  4. Participate in the Elf Parade next week by submitting pictures of your costume and how you dress up your bike, trike, scooter, etc.
  5. Make sure you are up to date on your reports.
  6. Watch the skies for flying sleighs. There are LOTS of them out there right now (watch the News at NorthPoleFlightCommand.com and SantaUpdate.com for more on that)
  7. Elf Supes are going to ask for pictures of your Christmas trees soon. Just a heads up.

Ok, you got questions? Ask them in the comments below.

Thank you, Elves.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Local Christmas Report Needed

Is it Christmas out there where you are?

I want to know about it. Tell us about the Christmas you see where you are. Take pictures and send them in.

I may ask for this report several times in the next few weeks. You should be seeing signs of Christmas by now.

The Local Christmas Report is found at this link. 

I appreciate your efforts.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

How is Home and Family?

There is a report you can send in which very few tracker elves actually use. It’s called the Home and Family Report.

I’d like all of you to send one in at the first opportunity.

I think it is important that you know the we care about you, that Santa sees you as more than just a tracker elf and that you DO have an alternative way to communicate with Santa.

Messages sent in via this form bypass the usual process. Messages coming in this way are tagged and Santa knows it is from an elf.

So let’s make use of this form, okay? I think it is important that Santa knows what’s going on with you and your family.

Thanks.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Reindeer Flight School in Sector 1

Exciting news!

North Pole Flight Command has just informed me that a Reindeer Flight School is scheduled to begin in our Sector November 1st. The school will operate until December 1st and is for rookie reindeer serving in Operation Merry Christmas for the first time.

All of these reindeer already know how to fly and they all fly very well. But the Flight School is to give them some experience in different weather conditions.

Reindeer Flight School will be based out of an area fairly close to Alice Springs, Australia. While the school will be based there at a remote reindeer ranch operated by the Reindeer Operations Department it isn’t expected that the reindeer will be there much.

The school will not be associated with the test flights of Santa’s sleigh.

But, the chances of seeing flying sleighs in Sector 1 are improved over this time frame because much of the time the reindeer in flight school will be pulling sleighs (to promote realism in their training).

There will be training sessions during the month of November in parts of Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, the Marshall Islands, the Philippines and Japan. A schedule of these training sessions and their exact dates will not be released due to security concerns.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Weekly Weather Reports

Fellow Elves of Sector 1: it is time we begin weekly weather reports from all areas in our sector.

To send a weather report, please use this page.

If possible, we would like to get this report on Tuesdays. If you cannot find a local weather forecast on that day in your area, please send in a report on a day when you can find accurate data.

These reports are not just to help with Santa’s flight. They also help flights of other sleighs coming from the North Pole. North Pole Flight Command tells me that the flights over our sector really begin to multiple in the weeks ahead. They will be sending advance scouts, freighting a lot of stuff, and sending elves on various service missions. Weather reports help all of these teams.

If you have any questions, please comment below. Thanks!

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Roof Reports Due Soon

Hi Elves!

Just a reminder that our roof reports in Sector 1 are due soon. As we told you earlier in September, North Pole Flight Command has asked we complete these by the end of the month.

Now remember, just because we’re calling from them now and we’re saying we’re getting them done this month that doesn’t mean that North Pole Flight Command – or Santa for that matter – won’t call for this same report again before Santa flies. It just depends on the conditions.

Nevertheless, let’s stay ahead of it. Our sector will be in really good shape if we can close this out by the end of the month.

Thank you, Elves!

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Air Traffic Report Requested

North Pole Flight Command is testing some new equipment and setting up new routines and they are requesting from our Sector submissions of the Air Traffic Report.

The test flights of Santa’s sleigh is far away from Sector 1 at this time but this test is not about sleigh traffic. It is about all air traffic. In fact, Elf Buck Sanchez tells me that the test is vital precisely because sleighs are not in our skies at this time.

So please go ahead and do it.  Buck wants these reports from as many in our sector as can send it – no matter where you are located.

Let’s help him if we can.

Thanks.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Planning a Landing Zone for Santa

Hi Elves,

We have been getting some messages from elves about landing zones for Santa. Since we are still quite a ways away from Santa’s launch we thought we’d talk about this now, just so those of you who want to do this have time to plan.

We actually see quite a lot of landing zones for Santa set up in Sector 1. In fact, more in our sector than any other out there. We think that may have more to do with the good weather in most places of Sector 1 than anything else. Here are some things you need to know.

  1. You don’t HAVE to have a landing zone for Santa. Santa has been to many homes many times. He has a good idea where to put the sleigh. But if you want to identify a spot, Santa will be glad to use it. Santa does admit that sometimes he lands the sleigh in places that people do not appreciate. He doesn’t mean to damage the flowers or run over things left laying around. The sleigh is a big vehicle and Santa sometimes can’t see everything on the ground or on a roof. So if you have a designated spot, Santa is happy to use it.
  2. Santa’s sleigh is huge. What most people do not realize is the sheer size a landing zone needs to be. And just because you clear a spot doesn’t always mean Santa can use it. Last year, for example, an Elf named Elf Trevor in Australia had a landing zone for Santa set up on the side of his house. The weather was good and the zone was huge. But there were trees all along the side of the house that made flying in too steep for the space that Elf Trevor selected. We think Trevor also had a couple of web cams set up to capture Santa on video, which Santa doesn’t mind. But being as close to the house as it was just wasn’t a safe option for Santa to use the zone, especially with the trees so close to it all. Remember, Santa does not only have to think about potential damage to the house and the yard, but also potential dangers to the reindeer, the sleigh and himself.
  3. The roof is a much preferred spot for a landing zone. But it is most often very problematic, mostly because many roofs are too small for the sleigh. In those cases, the reindeer and the sleigh will actually just hover over the house and not actually land. Santa descends from the sleigh from a rope when this is the case. If you do think Santa’s sleigh will fit on the roof, he’s okay with lights set up there as long as it is safe to do so and that the home owner (usually your parents) agree. It’s not required by any means.
  4. Food for the reindeer or for Santa should NOT be kept in or near the landing zone. Santa prefers to retrieve this stuff while in the house. That is because local dogs, cats and other wildlife will wander into the zone, attracted by the food, thus putting them in harms way.
  5. If you feed the reindeer, as always, remember to use natural seeds, nuts and fruits and vegetables. Again, keep them out of the zone.
  6. Picture of the zone, before and/or after, are fine. Videos are cool. Just be willing to share them with North Pole Flight Command or right here on SantaTrackers.net.
  7. If you have a landing zone, please report it. Santa would like to know in advance if possible.

And that’s about it. If you have other questions don’t be afraid to ask about them in the replies below. If you are in another Sector and have questions you might want to post them to your Elf Supervisor. Different Sectors may have different conditions that require additional direction.

Thanks!

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

The Natural Disaster Report

Greetings from Japan, where we have been in operation at the Regional Tracking Center here for Sector 1 for over a month now.

Things are going well but it is an interesting period in Japan. There have been a number of earthquakes and now we’re under storm watch.

Natural disasters can and do happen in many parts of the world. They come in different forms. Every sector has some sort of natural disaster taking place right now.

What do we do in the event of a natural disaster that affects us or that we think might affect Santa?

If we can safely do so we report it via the Natural Disaster Report.

It is one of those reports we only use rarely and, frankly, it is a report we don’t ever really want to use.

Recently I have reviewed this report with the entire team at the Regional Tracking Center here in Otaru. We have had to train on how to receive and process such reports as well as learn to send them ourselves.

I think it would be wise for each of you to review it.

You never know when it might be needed.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online