In view of the worldwide pilot shortage, aren’t we fortunate that Santa is a seasoned pilot with his own non-polluting aircraft who need not endure arduous hours of initial training or mandatory recurrent training! Santa has no shortage of elf ramp agents either. And capricious fuel costs will never impact the viability of his carrot-fueled reindeer, who propel the Santa sleigh at an astonishing speed.

Beat that, Maverick, you Mach-mocking daredevil!

So how exactly does the Santa sleigh achieve this miraculous feat every Christmas? Let us investigate the aerodynamics (read “magic”) of the glowing Santa sleigh.

According to an in-depth, meticulously researched study by the fine minds at the University of Manchester’s Department of MACE (Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering), the Santa sleigh achieves the necessary lift—an elevating force that counteracts the obstructive elements of weight and drag—with…magic, of course! Reindeer, the researchers estimate, must consume 7.5 billion billion carrots to ignite sufficient thrust for unfatigued velocity and levitation for hours on end.

This May Not Go Over Well with Santa’s Main Competition…

Now, should the Easter Bunny ever gripe about the dearth of carrots, Santa might entertain this recommendation from the experts at the University of Manchester: they suggest feeding the reindeer mince pies in lieu of carrots and training them to adopt a more Superman-like posture for enhanced aerodynamics.

The Shape of Things to Come…and Go

A falling raindrop is often cited as one of the most aerodynamic shapes. The front, much like the leading edge of an aircraft wing, is a smooth semicircle, and the rear, a fine tip. Ruminating on the aerodynamics of the Santa sleigh, an enthusiast conducted a comparative analysis of four sleigh designs—the older-style wide sleigh, a modern sleigh with wings on the front and tail end, a relatively streamlined classic style, and a futuristic aircraft-style Santa sleigh with a cabin for Santa to sit in. Upon reviewing computer-generated simulations, the enthusiast proclaimed the classic design—much like our Santa sleighs with their graceful, gilded runners for landing gear—the winner. This design, it appears, is superior at outwitting the forces of drag that resist forward motion through air when jetting around the world.

Beyond Jules Verne

It took Phileas Fogg 80 days to go around the world by train and steamer. Military aviators were the first to circumnavigate the globe by air in 1924, and it took them 175 days! In 2005 the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer set a record for the fastest solo nonstop flight around the world among non-magic-based technologies, clocking in at just over 67 hours.

While we cannot outrace Santa’s sleigh, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command), headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, has the advanced technology to track the fast-moving Santa sleigh. This Christmas, be sure to curl up with your little ones or significant other in one of our Santa sleighs to truly experience the magic of Santa’s sleigh as it spans the globe.