Curious!

[duchy]

Just read an incident notice where a 'PAN' was declared. Can someone out there tell me what a 'PAN' is ?
Thanks

[azzamang]

a "PAN" or really a "PAN-PAN" is an emergency call that is one step down in urgency from a MAYDAY. it is used when the situation is not so server as to warent a MAYDAY

[witchdoctor]

Mayday - you have brown trousers or are in iminent danger of brown trousers.

Pan-pan - you may have brown trousers if the situation deteriorates further.

[FlyingForFun]

Exactly.

Or, if you want it a little more formally than the brown trouser analagy:

1.2 States of Emergency

1.2.1 The states of emergency are classified as follows:

a) Distress A condition of being threatened by serious and/or imminent danger and of requiring immediate assistance.

b) Urgency A condition concerning the safety of an aircraft or other vehicle, or of some person on board or within sight, but does not require immediate assistance.

1.2.2 The pilot should make the appropriate emergency call as follows:

a) Distress ‘MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY This is ---- (Aircraft Callsign)’

b) Urgency ‘PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN This is ---- (Aircraft Callsign)’

(From CAP413, Chapter 8.)

FFF
---------------

[dinky]

PAN

Someone once told me that PAN was short for Please Assist Now.

[radeng]

In the maritime world, it was (maybe still is)

'PAN, PAN, PAN, this is '(callsign or name of vessel, given three times.

Bit different to 'PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN'

[eyeinthesky]

I thought PAN came from the Ancient Greek where 'pan' means 'all' or 'everybody'. So you are trying to get everyone's attention.

MAYDAY = m'aidez (French: "Help me")

[duchy]

Thank you for all replies. Much appreciated !!! Good to know that when you have a question........................you are not alone out there!!
Duchy xx