Originally Posted by
HEATHROW DIRECTOR
Few Cloudy. I presume you're not a professional pilot? Adequate procedures exist for pilots to inform ATC of dire problems using the terms "Pan" or "Mayday".
Actually you are wrong about FC, HD, and I think you have also missed the point.
The suggestion is to have a call (as in the US I believe) which indicates lowish fuel reserves, achieves priority and does NOT get ATC and all the rescue services unnecessarily 'hot and sweaty' as when they respond to a PAN. I think it is an excellent idea. As has been pointed out many times here, the PAN call for lowish reserves is not really required, nor is the MAYDAY, when up to 30 minutes fuel could be remaining on landing (on UK SOPs).