Traditionally, Santa travels the sky with eight reindeer and his sleigh. But every year on Camp Pendleton, he flies in on a UH-1N helicopter, also known as a “Huey,” and instead of his elves from the North Pole helping, he was assisted by Marines from Marine Light Attack Training Squadron 303.

“This is our eleventh year having Santa fly in by helicopter,” said Dr. Lois Grazioli, principal, Stuart Mesa Elementary School, Oceanside Unified School District. “When he landed, the students were ecstatic.”

Grazioli said she was a little afraid the visit would not happen, because of the weather at the beginning of the week. The students would have been heartbroken if Santa did not visit, she added.

“After he landed, the kids were asking where his reindeer were,” Graziloi said. She remembers him saying his reindeer were resting for the big trip coming up next week.

“It would have been cool to see Santa’s reindeer,” said Ariel Mitchell, kindergarten student, SMES. “But I liked seeing Santa in the helicopter.”

Along with Mitchell, students from the elementary school received holiday sweets from Santa as he stopped by the kindergarten, first and second grade classes.

She said Santa was able to hand out candy canes, because of the hard work the Parent Teacher Association put forward making sure the students received a gift from Santa when he visited.

“The kids get a kick out of it when he comes to the classrooms,” said Ryan Haller, kindergarten teacher, SMES, OUSD. “For the kindergarten students, this is the first time they get to see him come out of the helicopter.”

Haller said this was a great way to end the week. The students in his class learned different religions and cultures practiced around the world during their last week of school, just before they go on Christmas break.

“I believe they really enjoyed seeing him come to their class,” Haller said. It may have been their favorite event this week, he added.