The sky was the limit for Santa Claus one day in December 1986 when he abandoned his reindeer and sleigh to take a party of Examiner readers and children on a trip over the sea.
He got behind the pilot’s controls of a Boeing 757 for a flight climbing to 20,000ft from Manchester Airport and across to the Isle of Man.
He is pictured with one of the youngsters in the pilot’s seat, on the trip organised by the
Examiner Women’s Circle, shortly before take-off.
And he took along a sackful of parcels to the delight of the passengers.
We've also put in a selection of pictures from throughout the year in our gallery as well as just Christmas, so there are plenty of memories in there.
Did you miss last week's look back at Christmas in the 1980s? Click here to view our gallery.
