Santa's PG7 Altimeter Pressure Gauge | Blog

During the holiday season each year, we often hear familiar questions:

1. 1. Is Santa real?
   2. How do reindeer fly?
   3. How can Santa deliver presents to the whole world in one night?

Or my favorite:

1. What keeps Santa and his reindeer from passing out when flying at high altitudes?

While the first three questions are better left to other experts, APG provided a solution for question #4: a backlit, outdoor IP67-rated, PG7-15.00-PSIA digital pressure gauge referenced to Absolute pressure, mounted in Santa’s open sleigh cockpit instrument panel.

The range for this gauge is 0 PSIA (vacuum) to 15.00 PSIA (sea level). On the ground at sea level, the PG7 displays around 14.7 PSIA.

During Santa’s Christmas Eve travels, the higher the altitude of the sleigh, the lower the PSIA readings of the PG7. The maximum safe altitude that Santa should travel is 10,000 feet (display reading of 10.1 PSIA). Santa’s Never Exceed altitude is 15,000 feet (display reading of 8.29 PSIA).

At altitudes above 15,000 feet, altitude sickness and hypoxia begin to set in, and can be followed by losing consciousness.

But Santa can wear an oxygen mask at higher altitudes, right? While that’s true, there is no way the reindeer will consent to wearing oxygen masks.

With the reliable and accurate pressure readings from the PG7, Santa is able to keep his Christmas Eve flight paths at safe altitudes.

The good folks at APG can be proud knowing that their products are helping keep Santa safe, making Christmas deliveries possible for the children of the world.

Signed: Kris Kringle

Editor’s Disclaimer: While the PG7’s use as a type of altimeter is a real application, I’ll let the inner child within all of us determine the truth in rest of the story.