So who is the guilty party them? Harry, you are a panic merchant. ATC have the benefit of being in a nice warm room that doesn't move too much, tea that won't shake itself into your lap and with colleagues around who they can turn to for advice. And when they hear "Mayday", it's not them who will be in the smoking hole. That should (and normally does) put them leagues ahead of us. They can think about things in their nice dark rooms (or bright an airy - I honestly haven't a clue) that we haven't thought about. Whether the term used is Mayday or Pan Pan, it shouldn't really matter. The message is that it ain't "Ops normal". That doesn't mean draw out your life savings from an ATM in case the plane crashes into your bank's head office or close the bloody M1. It's just a statement that your help is required.