On 9 Jun 2004 10:20:59 -0700, (Kevin Darling)
wrote:

10:14PM - "Swissair 111 heavy is declaring Pan Pan Pan. We have smoke
in the cockpit,

Thanks! That's just the sort of reference I was looking for.

Interesting that later he said "declaring an emergency."

I suppose the whole concept of emergency calls has pretty much faded
out, with the advance in radio communications. It is as easy to say
(and understand) "crossing the runway" as "securite, securite". Or
"I'm declaring an emergency" as pan-pan-pan.

And the pilot says "declaring Pan..." The whole object of the
emergency calls was to avoid having to use those extra words.

"Mayday" by contrast still serves a real purpose: it tells everyone
else on the freq to shut up.


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

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