What does Pan-Pan stand for?
What does Pan-Pan stand for? Pan-Pan, short for “possible assistance needed,” is used to communicate an urgent, but not emergency, situation over VHF radio, in the case of aviation, to air traffic control. Examples could include a recreational pilot getting lost, or perhaps needing to climb to a higher altitude to sort a problem out.
Do pilots say Mayday?
Pilots say, “Mayday” when they are in need of assistance, usually in an emergency situation. That word is the English phonetic pronunciation of the French, “M'Aidez”, which, literally, means “Help me”.
Why do pilots say Mayday when in trouble?
Mayday got its start as an international distress call in 1923. It was made official in 1948. It was the idea of Frederick Mockford, who was a senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London. He came up with the idea for “mayday because it sounded like the French word m'aider, which means “help me.