Santa Claus, like all pilots, gets regular visits from the Federal Aviation Administration, and it was shortly before Christmas when the FAA examiner arrived. In preparation, Santa had the elves wash the sled and bathe all the reindeer. Santa got his logbook out and made sure all his paperwork was in order.

The examiner walked slowly around the sled. He checked the reindeer harnesses, the landing gear, and Rudolfs nose. He painstakingly reviewed Santas weight and balance calculations for the sleds enormous payload.

Finally, they were ready for the check ride. Santa got in, fastened his seat-belt and shoulder harness, and checked the compass. Then the examiner hopped in carrying, to Santas surprise, a shotgun.

Whats that for? Santa asked.

The examiner winked and said, Well, Im not supposed to tell you this, but youre going to lose an engine during take-off.