Update: Keep Your Eyes on the Skies Dec. 12
Update: Santa’s flight is rescheduled to this Thursday, Dec. 12 at the same time!
Good boys and girls of all ages across Southern Maryland should keep their eyes on the skies as Adm. Saint Nicholas conducts pre-deployment mission planning over parts of Southern Maryland from 11am to 1pm December 10.
Regional residents looking up might spot Nicholas, known by his festive call sign “Claus,” as he soars through the skies aboard a US Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter with his trusty elves and holiday helpers from NAWCAD’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21.
“Delivering toys to children around the world takes careful planning and strategic intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance,” said Claus during a pre-flight brief with HX-21 rotary pilots and aircrew. “The aviation pros at NAWCAD make prepping for the big night a little easier.”
Claus and the HX-21 crew will spread holiday cheer over the following regional locations:
11 – 11:30am
Naval Air Station Patuxent River Beach House
Driftwood Beach
Patuxent Appeal Elementary School
Dowell Elementary School
Solomons Island Pier
11:30 – Noon
Hollywood Elementary School
St. John’s Catholic School
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School
Leonardtown Elementary School
Leonardtown Wharf
12 – 12:30pm
Leonardtown Middle School
Evergreen Elementary School
Town Creek Elementary School
Green Holly Elementary School
Greenview Knolls Elementary School
Lexington Park Elementary School
12:30 – 1pm
George Washington Carver Elementary School
Chesapeake Charter Public School
Little Flower School
Bay Montessori School
Park Hall Elementary School
Spring Ridge Middle School
NAS Patuxent River Child Development Center
Children are advised to be on their best behavior as Claus finalizes his naughty list ahead of upcoming operations on Christmas Eve.
As Rudolph rests up with the reindeer crew ahead of the holiday, inclement weather may delay Santa’s mission to December 11 or December 12, at the same time. Stay up to date on Santa Over Southern Maryland on the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s Facebook page.
HX-21 is a component of Naval Test Wing Atlantic, the test wing for Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. Nicknamed the “Blackjacks,” the squadron provides developmental flight test and evaluation for all US Navy and Marine Corps rotary-wing and tilt-rotor aircraft.
NAS Paxt River has been home to HX-21 since 1949.
