In the 1920's, aviation was in its infancy. Not only were the planes archaic
compared to today's aircraft, but also the navigation equipment. Pilots along the
coast of Maine would navigate very much like the seafaring ships, using the
beacons of the many coastal lighthouses as bearings along the way.
William Wincapaw was perhaps Maine's most accomplished pilot in those early
days. It was he who usually made the most dangerous and needed emergency
flights to and from the many islands along the Maine coast. Many of these
flights would occur at night or in bad weather, and the flashing lights of the
lighthouses would help guide him to safety each time. Wincapaw, during slower
flying days, would stop by these lighthouses and visit with the keepers and their
families, thanking them for helping him to navigate safely across the
treacherous skies. As he built a relationship with these keepers, they would
keep an eye out for his plane and radio ahead to the next lighthouse so that the
next keeper could watch and inform the mainland of his progress.
In the days leading up to Christmas of 1929, Wincapaw realized that many of
these keepers who helped keep him and his passengers safe were on remote
locations and would spend Christmas Day just like any other, working and alone
with just their families or fellow keepers. He realized that even the everyday
necessities, such as soap, shaving cream, and even newspapers and
magazines were hard to come by for these dedicated keepers of the lights. He
decided that as a thank you for their service, he would fly out on Christmas
morning to a few of the lighthouses and drop a package of daily necessities off
to the keepers and their families.
The initial Christmas flight of 1929 was such a success and was so immensely
appreciated by the lighthouse families that Wincapaw decided to make it an
annual event. As each year went by, Flying Santa, as Wincapaw had come to
be known, extended his flights and included more of Maine's lighthouses on his
Christmas runs. Eventually, he petitioned the help of his son, Bill, Jr. who was
an aspiring pilot, and one of Bill, Jr.'s school teachers, Edward Rowe Snow. With
the extra help, the Flying Santa program was now able to handle two routes, the
original Maine route and a new route which would visit lighthouses in
Massachusetts.
Over the years, the Flying Santa program grew to even include lighthouses
on the Great Lakes as well as California. But as lighthouses became automated
and keepers became dinosaurs of the past, the Flying Santa dwindled until it
was only a token Christmas visit to Boston Harbor Light.
In recent years, the program has been taken over by a non-profit group
known as "The Friends of Flying Santa". Their mission is to carry on the work of
William Wincapaw and Edward Rowe Snow and bring Christmas cheer to
lighthouses and Coast Guard stations along the New England coast.
The Harbour Lights Flying Santa trilogy takes us along the history of
the Flying Santa Program. 2007's Hospital Point depicts a plane from the
very early days of the program. 2008's Perkins Island depicts a more
modern plane of the 1950's, while 2009's Burnt Island features today's
mode of transportation for "Flying Santa", a helicopter.
compared to today's aircraft, but also the navigation equipment. Pilots along the
coast of Maine would navigate very much like the seafaring ships, using the
beacons of the many coastal lighthouses as bearings along the way.
William Wincapaw was perhaps Maine's most accomplished pilot in those early
days. It was he who usually made the most dangerous and needed emergency
flights to and from the many islands along the Maine coast. Many of these
flights would occur at night or in bad weather, and the flashing lights of the
lighthouses would help guide him to safety each time. Wincapaw, during slower
flying days, would stop by these lighthouses and visit with the keepers and their
families, thanking them for helping him to navigate safely across the
treacherous skies. As he built a relationship with these keepers, they would
keep an eye out for his plane and radio ahead to the next lighthouse so that the
next keeper could watch and inform the mainland of his progress.
In the days leading up to Christmas of 1929, Wincapaw realized that many of
these keepers who helped keep him and his passengers safe were on remote
locations and would spend Christmas Day just like any other, working and alone
with just their families or fellow keepers. He realized that even the everyday
necessities, such as soap, shaving cream, and even newspapers and
magazines were hard to come by for these dedicated keepers of the lights. He
decided that as a thank you for their service, he would fly out on Christmas
morning to a few of the lighthouses and drop a package of daily necessities off
to the keepers and their families.
The initial Christmas flight of 1929 was such a success and was so immensely
appreciated by the lighthouse families that Wincapaw decided to make it an
annual event. As each year went by, Flying Santa, as Wincapaw had come to
be known, extended his flights and included more of Maine's lighthouses on his
Christmas runs. Eventually, he petitioned the help of his son, Bill, Jr. who was
an aspiring pilot, and one of Bill, Jr.'s school teachers, Edward Rowe Snow. With
the extra help, the Flying Santa program was now able to handle two routes, the
original Maine route and a new route which would visit lighthouses in
Massachusetts.
Over the years, the Flying Santa program grew to even include lighthouses
on the Great Lakes as well as California. But as lighthouses became automated
and keepers became dinosaurs of the past, the Flying Santa dwindled until it
was only a token Christmas visit to Boston Harbor Light.
In recent years, the program has been taken over by a non-profit group
known as "The Friends of Flying Santa". Their mission is to carry on the work of
William Wincapaw and Edward Rowe Snow and bring Christmas cheer to
lighthouses and Coast Guard stations along the New England coast.
The Harbour Lights Flying Santa trilogy takes us along the history of
the Flying Santa Program. 2007's Hospital Point depicts a plane from the
very early days of the program. 2008's Perkins Island depicts a more
modern plane of the 1950's, while 2009's Burnt Island features today's
mode of transportation for "Flying Santa", a helicopter.
| Flying Santa Trilogy |
| Website and all contents (c) copyright 2004-2011 Sand and Sea Enterprises, all rights reserved. All contents restricted for any other use without the express written consent of its owner. |
| Hospital Point, MA Christmas 2007 |
| Perkins Island, Me Christmas 2008 |
| Burnt Island, Me Christmas 2009 |
| SOLD OUT! |