It’s a tradition that began on Dec. 25, 1929, when Capt. William Wincapaw of Friendship loaded his plane with a dozen packages containing newspapers, magazines, coffee, candy and other “island luxuries,” and flew to the lighthouses around the Rockland area and dropped the modest gifts to the lighthouse families living there. According to the history of the Friends of Flying Santa, it was Wincapaw’s way of saying thanks for keeping the lights lit so he could find his way through the skies on foggy, foul-weather days.

The Flying Santa’s storied history into modern times can be read at the Friends of Flying Santa website, and on Nov. 29, the tradition continued this year for another holiday season.

On Sunday, children of U.S. Coast Guard families up and down the Maine coast were treated to personal visits with the season’s chief elf, Santa Claus, who also had a special gift for each of them inside his giant green and red bags. The jolly elf’s tiny reindeer were given the day off to rest up for the big night coming up, and Santa was ushered this day to Coast Guard communities - from Jonesport to Portsmouth - via helicopter and Friends of Flying Santa.