If you have an engine failure there is no doubt you should declare a Mayday in my opinion, I would also squawk 7700 when time allows, I want to make sure I get all the help I can!
The USA is not the only country that does not recognise PAN, try using it in Spain and you will be met with a stunned silence or asked to say again! My view is if you need to declare a PAN outside UK airspace say Mayday and explain later.
With regard to TCAS being set to TA after an engine failure the Airbus FCOM 3 drill “after ENG 1(2) failure” instructs you to select TA. I can’t recall what the Boeing or MD manuals say and they are tucked in the loft somewhere. I would say setting TA after an engine failure seems like good airmanship to me.
As for ATC not understanding performance that may be true to some extent but as has been pointed out many controllers are also pilots. That said I can’t see why it should cost NATS any money to let their controllers fly on the jump seat. After all most of the larger UK airlines are part owners of NATS so in a way UK controllers are to some degree company employees! Certainly I have taken controllers on the jump seat in the past and my company has not charged NATS for these familiarization flights.
I have long felt it would be worth investigating getting controllers in the Simulator for day two of an LPC/OPC; we do it with cabin crew. I certainly found visits to West Drayton and Prestwick very useful, especially the hour I spent on the ATC simulator, three-dimensional chess! I found the experience gave me an even greater respect for the job UK controllers do.
Last edited by kinsman; 21st Mar 2003 at 22:18.