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
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Mrs. Claus has signed off on the final prototype design of Santa’s sleigh. With that signature the first official test flights of the new sleigh can begin.

Santa gets a new sleigh each year (well, except for last year when he used a really old sleigh). The design process usually occupies several months. Test flights will follow a rigorous schedule as engineers, designers, builders and pilots work together to refine it.

The final test flight usually is conducted on December 23rd, just hours before Santa leaves the North Pole.

The target for test flights this year to begin was set for June 1st. So this new sleigh process is right on target.

Tracking information on test flights will eventually become available on tracking maps within a few months. But these first flights usually result in mixed results and Flight Command is not yet ready to train their crews for tracking.

Map tracking of test flights likely won’t happen until Christmas in July, at least.

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
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The newest design of Santa’s sleigh was rejected in a meeting held at North Pole Flight Command.

For months engineers and sleigh designers have followed a very careful path in designing a new sleigh for Santa. After the issues last year with the new sleigh it is critical that they find solutions.

After months of meetings and tests a final design was agreed upon and it just needed approval before a prototype is constructed so that test flights can begin.

But Mrs. Claus, of all people, put a stop to their efforts and asked for adjustments to their design.

According to Elf Roger Star, director of North Pole Flight Command, Mrs. Claus objected to the design of the rear deck of the sleigh. She said the design “looked pretty” but was impractical. The sleigh had a flat deck with expanded “fins”, that gave it a very fast look. Mrs. Claus even admitted the new design would likely fly faster as well.

The objection has more to do with function than style, she said. The rear deck is where elves work to reload the sleigh. It needs to accommodate massive amounts of “stuff”, as she called it, and the new design would not allow for that.

Mrs. Claus said Santa would definitely be frustrated with such a design because it would require constant reloading of the sleigh, which would slow him down.

It should be remembered that Mrs. Claus is a licensed and qualified sleigh pilot who has some limited experience with Santa on Christmas Eve.

Sleigh designers are disappointed but said they could make the required adjustments still in time for test flights to begin by the target date of June 1st.

Mrs. Claus will meet with them again in two weeks.

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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Elf Roger Star, Director of North Pole Flight Command, today released the final location candidates for regional tracking centers to be used for Christmas 2023.

These regional tracking centers, which are new every year, house elf-staffed teams that coordinate Santa’s flight in each sector. There are five sectors that divide the world:

Sectors of the World

Here are the ten finalist locations for each sector:

Sector 1: Ajeltake, Majuro, Marshall Islands; Port Vila, Vanuatu; Nadi, Fiji; Twizel, New Zealand; Koror, Palau; Mati, Philippines; Nabari, Japan; Sataoa, Samoa; Flower Pot, Tasmania; Zucchelli Station, Antarctica.

Sector 2: Rayong, Thailand; Sanya, China; Grozny, Georgia; Abha, Saudi Arabia; Sklad, Russia; Gimpo-si, South Korea; Yaan, China; Galle, Sri Lanka; Surat, India; Mary, Turkmenistan.

Sector 3: Agona, Ghana; Seafield, South Africa; Patras, Greece; San Marco, Italy; Lenzburg, Switzerland; Jena, Germany; Askola, Finland; Rena, Norway; Vik, Iceland; Santander, Spain.

Sector 4: Paamiut, Greenland; Etah, Greenland; North Arm, Falkland Islands; Esperanza, Argentina; Victoria, Chile; Bridgetown, Barbados; Buga, Columbia; Sao Carlos, Brazil; Posadas, Argentina; San Nicolas, Aruba.

Sector 5: Jaco, Costa Rica; Trinidad, Honduras; Crown Haven, Bahamas; Wild Goose, Ontario, Canada; Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Blue River, BC, Canada; Lake Louise, Alaska, USA; Tahoma, California, USA; Clyde, Texas, USA; Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada.

Elf Harold Star is a veteran news reporter and editor formerly with the North Pole Gazette. He has reported North Pole News for more than 50 years. He now serves the North Pole News Network as its primary news editor. Elf Harold lives at the North Pole with his wife, 4 cats and 3 very scared goldfish.
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The North Pole quietly marks 250 days remaining until Santa’s launch. It has been a very eventful time at the North Pole the past two months. Here is a brief recap of where things stand:

– Santa is not at the North Pole. He left on walkabout nearly a month ago and has not been heard from since. It may be months before he returns.
– Mrs. Claus has been in charge in Santa’s absence and has announced a number of changes.
– The North Pole now has four senior vice presidents over Production, Operations, Distribution and Public Relations. Several departments also have new leadership, including:
– Elf Roger Star is the new director of North Pole Flight Command.
Elf Crash Murphy is the new International Director of Santa Trackers.
– North Pole Flight Command reports that all preparations for Santa’s launch are on track.
– Santa’s Workshop reports that production is on track for a successful Christmas season.
– All of Santa’s reindeer have successfully migrated back to their native homelands and will return to the North Pole sometime later this year.
– Santa’s new sleigh is still in the design phase and will start test flights soon.

In all, Mrs. Claus reports that all phases of Operation Merry Christmas are optimistic of being ready for Santa’s flight in 2023.