Media Advisory: Santa Claus visits Southern Maryland Dec. 10 (Courtesy of the U.S. Navy)
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 on Dec. 10 from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET.
Regional residents looking up might spot Nicholas, known by his festive call sign "Claus," as he soars through the skies aboard a U.S. 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:
11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Naval Air Station Patuxent River Beach House
Driftwood Beach
Patuxent Appeal Elementary School
Dowell Elementary School
Solomons Island Pier
11:30 – 12:00 p.m.
Hollywood Elementary School
Saint John’s Catholic School
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School
Leonardtown Elementary School
Leonardtown Wharf
12:00 – 12:30 p.m.
Leonardtown Middle School
Evergreen Elementary School
Town Creek Elementary School
Esperanza Middle School
Green Holly Elementary School
Greenview Knolls Elementary School
Lexington Park Elementary School
12:30 – 1:00 p.m.
George Washington Carver Elementary School
Chesapeake Charter Public School
Little Flower School
Bay Montessori School
Park Hall Elementary School
Spring Ridge Middle School
Naval Air Station 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 Dec. 11 or Dec. 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 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps rotary-wing and tilt-rotor aircraft. The Blackjacks are personal favorites of Claus, who tries to visit his HX-21 friends every year. Naval Air Station Patuxent River has been home to HX-21 since 1949.
Adm. Santa Claus conducts pre-deployment planning near the Patuxent River in Southern Maryland during a reconnaissance mission ahead of Christmas Eve. Good girls and boys of all ages have a chance to glimpse him above regional locations while flying onboard a U.S. Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter on Dec. 10 from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET while spreading holiday cheer above several regional locations. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt)
A map depicts Adm. Saint Nicholas’ flight plan over Southern Maryland during a pre-deployment reconnaissance mission planned for Dec. 10, 2024 from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET ahead of annual operations on Christmas Eve. Claus will fly with elves and other holiday helpers from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 out of Naval Air Station Patuxent River to spread cheer and finalize his naughty list over several locations across St. Mary’s and Calvert Counties in Maryland. (U.S. Navy graphic)