SANTA TOUCHES DOWN; CHOPPER ARRIVAL TREAT FOR SCHOOLKIDS.

Byline: Jesse Hiestand Staff Writer

Santa Claus landed Thursday at Gault Street Elementary, but not in his traditional sleigh with reindeer.

This Santa rode a Bell Long Ranger III helicopter, much to the delight of children including 8-year-old Britney Orozco.

``It was cool because Santa landed - and a lot of smoke came out,'' said Britney, a third-grader among the 550 students who clamored at St. Nick's side. ``I got to meet him, and I told him I wanted a doll house.''

Now in its sixth year, the annual Santa fly-in grew out of a partnership between the school and Van Nuys Airport, which ``adopted'' the school in a program aimed at getting businesses more involved in education.

The pairing brings airport staff to the school as tutors and sends students on tours of the tarmac. The students decorated the Van Nuys Flyaway for Christmas and the airport gave each kid a book as a present.

A few of the older kids said Santa was passe compared to the 650-horse power helicopter, which the Los Angeles city Department of Water and Power uses to survey power lines and water canals across the western United States.

``Santa's all over the mall but you don't see a helicopter at the mall,'' said Andres Sancho, 10, a fifth-grader.

There was no fooling some of these kids, however. A few of them denounced this Santa as a ``fake'' because he was not ``fat enough or old enough.''

``Santa doesn't even like the sun, and he comes with reindeer in a sled,'' said Emerson Jimenez, 8, authoritatively on an unseasonably warm day.

Still, for most of the students, prekindergarten through fifth grade, nothing could be more exciting than the annual visit by Santa, and it was hard for them to sit still until he arrived.

``It's kind of hard to keep it a secret that Santa Claus is coming,'' said Principal John Kinnon.

The kids sat pensively through a marionette show, eyes on the cloudless skies until the stutter of the chopper's blades grew louder. Shrieks strong enough for the Backstreet Boys almost drowned out the noise of the helicopter when it touched down on the asphalt.

Parents pressed forward with camcorders. Little ones shot out of their seats.

``It means a lot to them, especially my littlest,'' said Albert Braud, 39, of Van Nuys, who has a daughter in kindergarten and another in second grade. ``The older one knows Santa is mom and dad but I told her don't spoil it for your sister. Let her enjoy it because when you were little you didn't know.''

After a half hour, Santa, 67-year-old retired Van Nuys electrician Bob Sironen, wiped the sweat from his brow and waved goodbye to the kids. He hopped back on the helicopter, adding by way of explanation, ``there's not enough snow for reindeer.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo: (1) Santa, played by 67-year-old retired Van Nuys electrician Bob Sironen, arrives at Gault St. Elementary School in Van Nuys on Thursday to spread holiday joy to more than 500 students.

(2) Children at Gault Street Elementary look up in the sky as Santa's helicopter gets ready to land at the Van Nuys school Thursday.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer