Earlier reports on the BBC News website quoted their colleague on the flight, Ms Tawfik, as saying that she had found the note in the toilet three hours into the flight. This detail is not repeated in the latest version of the report on the BBC. Whether this change is significant and the earlier report was incorrect I do not know. Other media (The Independent website for instance) are still reporting this detail about the timing of the discovery.
For the sake of argument, let us assume that the original quote was true. This would have placed the aircraft (according to the usual flight tracking sites) over or just north of the Czech Republic. Without wanting anyone to reveal sensitive information, I would like to hear from those with knowledge of the relevant procedures on why there was a delay between the discovery and the squawking of 7700 more than an hour later as the aircraft flew over the North Sea. I should say that I am not from the media as a check of my previous posts should show.
In short, would you have expected the emergency to have been declared earlier? Sufficiently earlier, perhaps, for the UK authorities not to have to become involved?