Santa Claus,
like all pilots, gets regular visits from the Federal Aviation Administration, and the FAA examiner arrived last week for the
pre-Christmas flight check. In preparation, Santa had the elves wash the sled and bathe all the reindeer. Santa got his log
book out and made sure all his paperwork was in order. He knew they would examine all his equipment and truly put Santas
flying skills to the test. The examiner walked slowly around the sled. He checked the reindeer harnesses, the landing gear,
and even Rudolphs nose. He painstakingly reviewed Santas weight and balance calculations for sleds enormous payload. Finally,
they were ready for the check ride. Santa got in and fastened his seat belt and shoulder harness and checked the compass.
Then the examiner hopped in carrying, to Santas surprise, a shotgun. "Whats that for?!?" asked Santa incredulously. The
examiner winked and said, "Im not supposed to tell you this ahead of time," as he leaned over to whisper in Santas ear, "but
youre gonna lose an engine on takeoff."