Andy Hawkins wrote in
:

Hi,

In article ,
Bertie the wrote:
As I understand it that's the primary reason for a standardised
word, that it enables you to cut through all the other traffic and
everyone else knows to shut up.


And a PAN just doesn't in most of the world.

Ok. Well, that should be addressed in either removing PAN from the
ICAO specs or by ensuring that all controllers know about it.

Well, i'm sure the German controller had been taught about it, but it's
just never used these days. That guy was the one and only PAN call I've
ever heard, and I've heard dozens of emergencies over the years. An
additional problem is accents and the confusion they can cause when a
phrase that isn't used all the time is used. I was told years ago by s
chief pilot I worked for never to use a PAN call for exactly the reason
that guy in Germany shouldn't have..

Agree with all you say about the 'standard' format. In the case of a
real emergency I think all that'll be on my mind is a quick summary of
the issue so that someone is aware of it, and then I'll be
concentrating on sorting it (particularly if the big whirly thing in
front of me isn't whirling any more).

Yeah, fly the airplane first. If you have time to discuss things with
ATC, fine, if you don't, you don't! They understand that you're loaded
up when you make the emergency. Their job from that point is to reduce
your load in any way they can.



One of my instructors (a very experienced RAF pilot) actually
advocated making the mayday call and then switching the radio off in
the case of an engine failure, as otherwise the military unit we'd
likely be talking to would probably want all sorts of other
information, and my attention could best be spent dealing with the
problem at hand.


Well, I think I'd leave th eradio on myself! At least you can tell em
where you've gone down.