The radio alert came in a little scratchy and a lot fuzzy. The gear from the latest rescue had been properly stowed, the floor scrubbed to a sparkling shine, a few lingering cookies gobbled up at the end of another day at Teton County Search & Rescue. But there was something in that muffled alert that tickled the volunteers’ ears:

Santa Claus was coming to town, and due to mechanical issues of his sled and a few stubborn reindeer (who shall go nameless), he needed a ride. And who else but TCSAR would be able to help good ol’ Kris Kringle make sure he finds his way to local children, in a shiny red helicopter no less?

But there was also a mission element to helping Santa and an elf get around to local kids. Anytime the volunteers can train in and around the helicopter provides extra safety for them and their patients. Giving the jolly old elf a lift would also be a wonderful way to spread good will and gratitude to this community for supporting Mission Critical, which secured a year-round SAR helicopter for Teton County through philanthropy.

“Safety is first and foremost in everything we do, and this is a great opportunity for our volunteers to learn and practice with Mr. Claus, arguably one of the best aviation experts out there,” said TCSAR Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart.

So the volunteers jumped up! They grinned big grins! Remembering that slow is smooth and smooth is fast, they grabbed their flight helmets and radios, fired up the single engine H125 ship, and went through their standard Green-Amber-Red (GAR) safety checks.

Even Santa got a harness. “I think there’s an XXXL in there somewhere,” pilot Steve Wilson remarked upon meeting the rather rotund bearded fellow.

Last week, TCSAR helped Santa get to Teton Science School and they made the following operational plan for Friday morning, December 22 (weather depending): TCSAR would fly Santa to all local schools in the Teton County School District. Using safety procedures for each site, the heli team would deposit Santa and an elf at the schools so they could spread holiday wishes and collect letters from the schoolchildren. Like all flight operations, TCSAR volunteers will be on the ground to manage each landing zone to the highest safety standards. The Jenny Lake Rangers, friends of TCSAR and interagency partners, plan to help on the ground with schools in Moran and Kelly.

After visiting each school, TCSAR will help get Santa back to his sleigh after some routine maintenance at the SAR hangar, feed the reindeer a few extra Kate’s bars, and bid them all good luck on their long journey back to the North Pole.

As Santa lifted off into the big Wyoming sky, the volunteers could hear him exclaim: “Merry Christmas to all—and thanks for helping me be prepared and practiced for presents!”