"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 03 Aug 2005 01:19:58 GMT, Maule Driver
wrote:

The alternative would have been something like, "KLM: we have a low
fuel emergency, request diversion for immediate landing",

Surely EMERGENCY is a more serious call than PAN? All the P-word does
is tell everyone: shut up and listen to what I have to say.

No, according to AIM 6-1-2a and the P/CG, "pan-pan" declares an urgency
condition, which *is* an emergency condition. But it is a less immediate
emergency than a distress condition, which is signaled by "mayday". (The
transponder code 7700 is used to signal *either* a distress or urgency
condition, according to AIM 6-3-2a2b).

--Gary