The Night Before Christmas
(At the airport)
Submitted by Jim Trusty
Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,
not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.
The aircraft were fastened to tie downs with care,
in hopes that come morning, they all would be there.
The fire trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,
With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.
I slumped at the watch desk, now finally caught up,
And settled down comfortably, resting my butt.
When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,
I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.
A voice clearly heard over static and snow,
Called for clearance to land at the airport below.
He barked his transmission so lively and quick,
I'd have sworn that the call sign he used was "St. Nick".
I ran to the panel to turn up the lights,
The better to welcome this magical flight.
He called his position, no room for denial,
"St. Nicholas One, turnin' left onto final."
And what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer!
With vectors to final, down the glide slope he came,
As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:
"Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!
On Comet! On Cupid!" What pills was he takin'?
The controllers were sittin', and scratchin' their head,
They phoned my office, and I heard it with dread,
The message they left was both urgent and dour:
"When Santa pulls in, please have him call the tower."
He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,
and then I heard "Left at Charlie," and "Taxi to parking."
He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh
and stopped on the ramp with a "Ho, ho, ho."
He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,
I responded with Crash One, the fire truck that can rock.
His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost
and his beard was all brown from Reindeer exhaust
His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale,
and he puffed on his pipe, but he didn't inhale.
His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly;
His boots were as black as a crop duster’s belly.
He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red,
And he asked where to fill it, with hundred low lead.
He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump;
I knew he was anxious for drainin' the sump.
I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,
Fire-guarding the sleigh, like an eager young Turk.
He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief,
Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief.
And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,
These reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog.
He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear,
Then he put on his headset and I heard him yell, "Clear!"
And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,
He called up the tower for clearance and squawk.
"Use runway 30 for a northbound direction,
Depart heading three-six-zero at pilot's discretion"
He sped down the runway, the best of the best,
"Your traffic's a Cessna, inbound from the west."
Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed thru the night,
"Merry Christmas to all and I have traffic in sight
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
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