Elf News Reporter at North Pole News Network
Elf Meg graduated from Southern North Pole University with a degree in journalism. For several years she was a star reporter for the North Pole Gazette and then briefly served as a producer for North Pole Radio News. She brings her experience in media to North Pole Flight Command, serving as both an Elf News Reporter for North Pole Radio News and Managing Editor of North Pole Flight Command.com
Elf Meg Nogg
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Santa visited the Sleigh Department on Saturday to look at the results of test flights of his new sleigh and to check the progress of the build of his new sleigh.

Based upon what he saw and the feedback of sleigh designers Santa has ordered that his new sleigh be slightly modified to be a little lighter. He has asked the sleigh to be made 2000 pounds lighter.

Both Sleigh designers and flight engineers are challenged by this request. New materials and design changes to the sleigh are possible but its not know how this might adversely affect the sleigh performance or if those changes can be tested in time before Christmas.

The test flight schedule is being reworked right now. Elf Roger Star, who oversees North Pole Flight Command, has said that 15 new test sleighs may be built to accommodate these changes.

Santa, however, wants to avoid that. He believes the current fleet of Version 2 sleighs can be modified and test flown, saving the time and expense of making a Version 3 of the sleigh and starting test flights all over.

Engineers are working that suggestion right now. We may see the test flights come closer to the North Pole so those sleighs can be modified one at a time.

We will keep you posted on this story.

Elf News Reporter at North Pole News Network
Elf Meg graduated from Southern North Pole University with a degree in journalism. For several years she was a star reporter for the North Pole Gazette and then briefly served as a producer for North Pole Radio News. She brings her experience in media to North Pole Flight Command, serving as both an Elf News Reporter for North Pole Radio News and Managing Editor of North Pole Flight Command.com
Elf Meg Nogg
Latest posts by Elf Meg Nogg (see all)

Version 2 of Santa’s sleigh continues to test. North Pole Flight Command reports the test flights continue today over the west coast of Australia. But a critical marker in the build schedule of the actual sleigh Santa will fly on Christmas Eve has been marked.

Even though Santa and Mrs. Claus are not at the North Pole at the moment builders in the Sleigh Department are moving forward with building Santa’s actual sleigh.

Elf Quinton Q. Quigley, head of Research and Development at the North Pole, authorized moving forward on the project.

“This build needs time,” Elf Quinton said. “With the two-month mark until Christmas approaching, we need to get things together. So I’m moving forward based on Santa’s latest feedback and the approval of Mrs. Claus given to us when she was last here.”

Meanwhile, a test flight schedule for the month of November is being discussed right now in North Pole Flight Command.

We will keep you posted.

Elf News Reporter at North Pole News Network
Elf Meg graduated from Southern North Pole University with a degree in journalism. For several years she was a star reporter for the North Pole Gazette and then briefly served as a producer for North Pole Radio News. She brings her experience in media to North Pole Flight Command, serving as both an Elf News Reporter for North Pole Radio News and Managing Editor of North Pole Flight Command.com
Elf Meg Nogg
Latest posts by Elf Meg Nogg (see all)

The test flights of Santa’s sleigh head into October by shifting operations over the Atlantic ocean and other areas over water “for an extended period of time”.

The purpose of these flights will be to test emergency systems on the sleigh, coordination with the North Pole Navy, test landings on ships and islands, and to map changes in coastlines in both Sectors 3 and 5.

That means Santa’s sleigh will largely be out-of-sight for most land-based trackers.

Analysts in flight command say that there may be brief periods of time where Santa’s sleigh could be seen from the east coasts of Canada, the United States, Brazil or even from the islands of the Caribbean for the next few weeks.

It is anticipated these flights will concentrate on water-related flight operations and may take up to three weeks to complete.

Elf News Reporter at North Pole News Network
Elf Meg graduated from Southern North Pole University with a degree in journalism. For several years she was a star reporter for the North Pole Gazette and then briefly served as a producer for North Pole Radio News. She brings her experience in media to North Pole Flight Command, serving as both an Elf News Reporter for North Pole Radio News and Managing Editor of North Pole Flight Command.com
Elf Meg Nogg
Latest posts by Elf Meg Nogg (see all)

Test flights of Santa’s sleigh are going so well that designers in the Sleigh Department agree that a newer version is not needed at this time. The sleigh has been on Version 2 for months.

It is typical for the sleigh design to be tweaked up to ten times or more before a new sleigh is completed for Santa’s flight. Like this year, the test flights begin in June and run the rest of the year right up until December 23rd in order to make it ready for Santa.

Over the course of that timeline new versions of the sleigh are announced as improvements are made.

But no significant improvements to this latest sleigh design have been found. The sleigh has continued to steadily perform better and better in test flights.

“If Santa were to take off on his annual trek right now – in the current version of the sleigh – we are confident he would break the 30-hour flight time record that he seeks,” said Elf Quinton Q. Quigley, head of Research and Development at the North Pole.

But just because the test flights are going so well does not mean they will end any time soon. Elf Roger Star, Director of North Pole Flight Command, said the test flight schedule will continue as planned right up until Santa’s flight time. They will continue to look for improvements that could be made.

Test flights have recently concentrated on Sector 1, South East Asian areas of Sector 2 and now is on the east coast of Africa in Sector 3. Trackers note that the sleigh recently has covered larger areas as speed trials continue.

The test flight reindeer team of nearly 5,000 reindeer are not tiring of the pace. While they have been at work for months Santa’s A-team of reindeer and other reindeer who work in support of Operation Merry Christmas have yet to check in for the season at the North Pole.

They are expected back at the North Pole at any time.