Elf Meg Nogg
Elf Meg Nogg
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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Chrome Elements Added to Santa’s Sleigh

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Santa’s sleigh Version 2, as reported earlier, continues to perform very well. As a result, the next step in modification of Santa’s sleigh includes customizations Santa himself has ordered.

These changes are considered mostly cosmetic and will likely not affect the speed or performance of Santa’s sleigh.

Santa communicated by Zoom call this week with designers in the Sleigh Department to finalize decisions on the look of the sleigh.

The sleigh this year will be a traditional red with gold pin stripes. In a surprise move, Santa ordered heavy chrome trim for the runners, both side tops and to front and rear facings.

North Pole Security voiced immediate concerns about how these highly reflective finishes will affect the visibility of Santa’s sleigh in the skies, especially from a distance.

Santa rejected those concerns.

Tech designers objected to the added weight the chrome will give the sleigh.

Test flights this week over Sector 5 were flown with the estimated addition of representative weight these new chrome elements and no performance concerns were raised during the test.

In a surprise bit of news Santa asked for the final cosmetic changes of the sleigh to be ready “before Thanksgiving”. This is about a month before Santa flies and far earlier than normal.

We will keep you posted on additional changes to Santa’s sleigh.

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Elf Meg Nogg
Elf Meg Nogg
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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Version 2 of Santa’s Sleigh is Excellent

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Santa’s new sleigh is in the test flight stage. As is custom, the Sleigh Design Department makes several sleighs as year as test pilots continue to refine how the sleigh performs. So far this year there have only been 2 versions of the sleigh.

By this point in most years we are usually up to about Version 5 of the sleigh. But both pilots and designers are saying Version 2 of the sleigh has proven to be so stable and efficient they haven’t been able to find corrections to make in months.

Presently, Santa’s sleigh is in test flights over Asia. Tracker elves can follow the progress of Santa’s sleigh at Santa Trackers.net.

Elf Quinton Q. Quigley, head elf of the Research and Development Department at the North Pole, says he has reached out to Santa with a progress report in hopes of stepping up the test flight schedule. There are new features – usually more cosmetic in nature that do not affect performance – that require test flights as well. Customarily these tweaks are held to the last minute in the days before Santa takes off. Quinton wants to implement those changes now because the sleigh is doing so well.

Flight Analysts at North Pole Flight Command are already working on simulated flight scenarios as they begin working the flight plan. They say that with such great performance from the sleigh and all the extra time for advanced planning the possibility of Santa setting an all time speed record this year is very high.

The test flights will continue – there is no reason to stop them – until well after the scheduled return of Santa’s reindeer to the North Pole. After they do return it is possible those reindeer may be embedded into the test flight reindeer teams for advanced flight training for reindeer. Those plans, however, cannot be implemented until those reindeer return.

We will keep you posted as those developments happen.

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Elf Harold Star
Elf Harold Star
Editor at North Pole News Network
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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Tracking Map Engaged for Test Flights

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The test flights of Santa’s sleigh have transitioned to a new phase. As the Regional Tracking Centers are announced elves are in training to begin flight tracking. To do that, they need maps.

That same training also applies to tracker elves. So, effective immediately, live data tracking maps have been made available for trackers worldwide via the Santa Tracker map at SantaTrackers.net.

Logged in elves can now see where the test flights of Santa’s sleigh are in real time. This is an exclusive feature for official elves only and it is not available to the public.

Surprisingly, this year’s sleigh is only on version 2. Test pilots are reporting excellent results with Santa’s new sleigh design this year. There are very few problems and the sleigh project is far ahead of schedule.

We will keep you updated on the progress of Santa’s sleigh.

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Elf Meg Nogg
Elf Meg Nogg
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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New Sleigh Design Approved for Test Flights

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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.

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