SANTA'S WINGS

The night before Christmas -
Air New Zealand style
Sent in by Dave Findlay

Twas the night before Christmas, and all round the stands,

Not an aircraft was stirring, and no Caravans.

The aircraft were shivering quite stiff on their spots,

With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.

Operations, had nightmares back home in their beds,

While pilots and broken planes danced round their heads.

And AOC stacking the paperwork up,

Were just about ready to close and lock up.

When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,

They turned up the volume to find what was the matter.

A voice clearly heard over static and snow,

Called for clearance to land down at Auckland below.

He barked his transmission so lively and quick,

I'd have sworn that the call sign he used was "St. Nick"

He called his position, not too close or far,

"St. Nicholas One cleared via the STAR."

While controllers were sittin', and scratchin' their head,

They phoned AOC, who then wrote down with dread,

A message that was very urgent and dour:

"When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower."

He landed like silk, and then took Alpha six,

Down Bravo and over to men waving sticks,

He called out to ramp as he came onto blocks,

And ground crew came placing the cones and the chocks.

His put on his hat and then without a sound,

He zipped up his high vis and did his walk round.

He was merry and jolly in his suit of pride,

And he called out “please add in, three twenty a side."

They spoke not a word, but went straight to their work,

Then they closed up the doors, which locked with a jerk.

And all thought as he silently scribed his log,

These reindeer could land in a four hundred fog.

And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,

He called up the tower for clearance and squawk.

“Clark one alpha departure, the southbound direction,

Turn left three-two-zero at pilot's discretion"

He sped down the runway, the best of the best,

"Your traffic's an Airbus, inbound from the west."

Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed through the night,

"Merry Christmas to all! Go Beyond Tonight!"

Best wishes for the festive season to all who read Peter Blakeborough’s Blog. More posts coming in 2014. Have a good one.