On my very first cross country flight in power, flew from Wycombe Air Park to Blackbush in a Cessna 152. Landed, got the logbook signed. Took off again in less than perfect viz, which got steadily worse. Really crap. I became seriously uncertain of my position! So, being on Wycombe frequency, asked for assistance, like how about a vector? Unable, they replied, try Benson.
So I switched frequency to Benson and said Pan, pan, pan, I don't know where I am. They gave me their full attention. Steer heading 270. Okay, now steer heading 360. We have you identified. Cessna 152, if you look down, you may find yourself directly overhead RAF Benson!
And so I was, and they gave me directions to the M40, which under a seriously lowering cloudbase (about 800 feet) took me back to Wycombe.
That near LHR one does not want to be uncertain of one's position......
The only time I ever called a Mayday was on a 27 foot sailboat in a nasty storm off the coast of Texas. As soon as I said those magic words, everything changed. We got help, coastguard helicopter S&R, ended up
being towed into Galveston. As it was a genuine emergency they didn't even charge for the service! (which if the emergency had been caused by running out of petrol, or similar, it would have cost me a lot of money!)
In an aeroplane, if you are going to die, it will all be over with quickly. In a boat, being seasick, scared, cold and wet, it goes on for hours and hours and hours.....
Last edited by mary meagher; 19th May 2014 at 19:48.