Done several practice pans, but thankfully never had the 'need' to call Mayday.
However, when I was controlling on LARS West:
Pilot 1: 'aircraft calling mayday say again' (I hadn't heard it)
Pilot 1: 'Farnborough G-ZZ reports he's had engine failure and has landed in a field north of Basingstoke'.
I took appropriate action including getting the reporting pilot to go and orbit over the last observed position of G-ZZ and getting a Farnborough based Lynx helicopter which happened to be nearby to go there and land to ensure everybody was all right. He then gave the two occupants a lift back to Blackbushe. I've always found helicopter pilots both civil and military are 100% co-operative in such situations.
10 years later:-
Pilot 2: Farnborough G-XX engine failure north of Basingstoke.
Me: G-XX is this a practice.
Pilot: Negative, Mayday Mayday Mayday G-XX engine failure north of Basingstoke.
No helicopters around so I got another aircraft from the same club who was on frequency to go to the site and report, but was able to maintain 2 - way contact with the aircraft which had engine failure.
The two engine failure aircraft were both AA5s from the same club at Blackbushe and the second one landed in exactly the same field that the first one landed in!!
Last edited by chevvron; 17th May 2014 at 05:09.