NY Air Guard To Track Santa's Eastern Air Defense Sector Flight

ROME, NY — When Santa enters the heavily monitored Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) on his way to rooftops and chimneys across North America, members of the New York Air Guard will be tracking his every move.

This Christmas will mark the 66th year that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has shared Santa Claus's Christmas Eve progress with delighted children from coast to coast. The New York Air National Guard and Royal Canadian Air Force are key to tracking the jolly guy in the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) which includes New York and the eastern seaboard.

"We’re delighted to support NORAD’s Santa tracking operations,” EADS commander Col. Paul Bishop said in a statement, announcing the all-hands holiday operation. "I can assure everyone that EADS will do everything in its power to assist Santa with his critical mission."

Even after airmen assigned to the EADS in New York hand off their watch, NORAD will continue to look out for a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer across the continent and around the globe.

According to legend, tracking Santa has been a tradition since 1955 when a local newspaper advertisement informed children they could call Santa directly — only the contact number was misprinted. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the crew commander on duty, U.S. Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center (the predecessor to NORAD).

Shoup was quick to realize a mistake had been made, and assured the child he was Santa. He then assigned a duty officer to continue answering calls. A holiday tradition was born that NORAD has carried on since it was created in 1958. Each year since, NORAD has reported Santa’s real-time location on December 24, to children around the world.

The "NORAD Tracks Santa website," which launched this year on December 1, features Santa’s North Pole Village. The online fun includes a holiday countdown, games, movie theater, holiday music and a web store with NORAD holiday gear. The website is available in eight languages.

The official NORAD Tracks Santa app can be found in the Apple App and Google Play stores, so parents and children can count down the days until Santa’s launch on their smart phones. Youngsters can also follow Santa's progress on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Starting at 4 a.m. EST on December 24, website visitors can see updates as Santa makes preparations for his flight. Then, at 6 a.m. EST, trackers worldwide can call to inquire as to Santa’s whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) where they will either speak with a live phone operator or hear a recorded update.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center will have fewer phone operators, so callers who do not reach a volunteer will hear a regularly updated recording as to Santa’s current location. Anytime on December 24, Amazon Alexa users can ask for Santa’s location through the NORAD Tracks Santa skill for Amazon Alexa, and OnStar subscribers can press the OnStar button in their vehicles to locate Santa.

EADS is located at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome, New York, and is part of the Continental U.S. NORAD Region-1st Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Responsible for the air defense of the eastern United States, EADS is composed of the New York Air National Guard’s 224th Air Defense Group, a Canadian Forces detachment, U.S. Army and Navy liaison officers, federal civilians and contractors. EADS also has two detachments in the National Capital Region.