Page 31 - Dec 23

America. One of the earliest non-related organizers to help the effort was Edward Rowe Snow, one of Bill Jr.’s teachers at Winthrop High School. Snow would go on to play a pivotal role, taking over The Flying Santa mission after Capt. Wincapaw’s passing in 1947, and in the 1970s he would guide the program into its helicopter era that better aligned with emerging flight restrictions.
Snow carried on the tradition for more than four decades, and when he passed in 1982 the Hull Lifesaving Museum stepped up to coordinate the flights. The 1980s saw the era of lighthouse keepers coming to an end, the boat stations remaining and many of the lights continuing to be used for Coast Guard housing. Guardianship of some of the structures transferred to civilian organizations and caretakers. Organizers decided that as long as there were personnel connected to the lights, the Flying Santa would make the Yuletide visits. In 1997, Friends of Flying Santa, Inc. formed to keep alive the tradition of the annual Christmas flights to New England’s lighthouses and lifesaving stations. Thousands of hours are volunteered each year to ensure the success of the flights which now encompass more than 30 stops including 61 Coast Guard units from Maine to New York. The helicopter visits and gifts for the children are small tokens of appreciation for the outstanding work of the United States Coast Guard and their supportive families.
Adapted from flyingsanta.org KA
“Thousands of hours are volunteered each year to ensure the success of the flights which now encompass more than 30 stops including 61 Coast Guard units ... ”
DECEMBER 2023
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 29