When Santa Got His Flying License

Santa Claus receiving his  aeroplane pilot's license from William P. McCracken & Clarence M. Young.

In 1926, The United States Congress passed an Air Commerce Act.  

 At that time,  Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover established the Aeronautics Branch to carry out the Department’s aviation regulatory responsibilities, which included: fostering air commerce; designating and establishing airways; establishing, operating, and maintaining aids to air navigation (but not airports); arranging for research and

development to improve such aids; licensing pilots; issuing airworthiness certificates for aircraft and major aircraft components; and investigating accidents. 

On April 6, 1927,  the first Pilot License was issued to Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics, William P. MacCracken, Jr. Before accepting the License No. 1, , MacCracken offered the honor to Orville Wright, promising to waive the fee and examination.   Wright, who no longer flew, declined the offer.  He did not think he needed a Federal license to show that he had been the first man to fly. 

Prior to this time, all pilots, including Santa were able to fly unlicensed.  Before his big flight in December of 1927, Santa presented himself to the Commerce Department in Washington, where he received his aeroplane pilots license from McCracken.  Clarence M. Young, Director of Aeronautics for  Department of Commerce, was also present.  

McCracken and Young presented Santa with Airway maps and the assurance that the lights would be burning on the airways Christmas Eve.