Santa Sleigh to Fly Over Region Tonight

Continuing a 17-year-old tradition, Santa and his glowing reindeer-drawn sleigh will fly over Ventura County on Christmas Eve--with a little help from a helicopter.

Santa is expected to take off from the Oxnard Airport at 6 p.m. today for a 90-minute flight over Oxnard, Ventura, Saticoy and Camarillo.

Since 1982, Aspen Helicopters of Oxnard has helped Santa--disguised as a 30-foot-long metal frame illuminated by 12,000 light bulbs--take to the skies. The frame, suspended from a helicopter by an 80-foot cable, is powered by two 5,000-watt generators.

Here is Santa’s flight schedule: Oxnard Airport, 6 p.m; Oxnard Shores, 6:03; Silver Strand Beach, 6:05; Port Hueneme Beach Park, 6:10; south Oxnard, 6:13; east Oxnard, 6:18; Colonia area, 6:20; Camarillo Airport, 6:25; east Camarillo, 6:30; Mission Oaks area, 6:35; north Camarillo, 6:40; El Rio and Nyeland Acres, 6:45; Saticoy, 6:50; east Ventura, 6:55; Foothill Road, 7; Grant Park, 7:05; Ventura Avenue, 7:10; Ventura Fairgrounds, 7:20; Ventura Keys, 7:25; and Oxnard Airport, 7:30.