# Aviation: When/What exactly is the transmission "MAYDAY" from a pilot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767 "2017-03-22T15:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/21 "2017-03-24T01:14:14Z")
Out of curiosity, do pilots usually pronounce it “pan-pan” or “pon-pon?” It is technically pronounced “pon-pon,” and sailors generally say it that way either because they’re a traditional bunch or because the Coast Guard guidelines mention the pronunciation. I notice the FAA’s pilot/controller glossary doesn’t mention the pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/22 "2017-03-24T01:26:56Z")
Pan-pan. Because we speak English and sometimes bastardise the words we borrow from other languages. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/23 "2017-03-24T01:35:43Z")
Anecdote on pan/pon: I’ve never been taught a specific pronunciation. Nor have I ever heard it or said it for real. In conversation with other pilots I’ve only ever said or hear “pan” like the cooking implement. “Pon” sounds to me like faux French. A related question: Some non-US English dialects pronounce the word “may” about like Americans pronounce the word “my”. And pronounce “day” about like Americans pronounce “dye” or “die”. In those dialects is the radio codeword “mayday” pronounced with the American long “A” sound or the American long “I” sound? Heck if I know. But I bet **Richard** ’s accent is one of those. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/24 "2017-03-24T02:55:57Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > Out of curiosity, do pilots usually pronounce it “pan-pan” or “pon-pon?” It is technically pronounced “pon-pon,” and sailors generally say it that way either because they’re a traditional bunch or because the Coast Guard guidelines mention the pronunciation. I notice the FAA’s pilot/controller glossary doesn’t mention the pronunciation. As a student pilot, this gave me pause. I learned ‘pon-pon’ while earning my sailing certifications. I assumed my flight instructor was just being obtuse when she told me it was ‘pan-pan’. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/25 "2017-03-24T03:16:22Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > A related question: Some non-US English dialects pronounce the word “may” about like Americans pronounce the word “my”. And pronounce “day” about like Americans pronounce “dye” or “die”. > > In those dialects is the radio codeword “mayday” pronounced with the American long “A” sound or the American long “I” sound? > > Heck if I know. But I bet **Richard** ’s accent is one of those. It is just “may” and “day” put together, so I guess to an American’s ear it would sound a bit like “my-dye”. Though I think if you actually said it that way it would sound like an exaggerated Australian accent with the reality being somewhere in between the long A and I sounds. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/26 "2017-03-24T03:22:46Z")
Saying “pon-pon” seems a bit like saying “sontimeter” for centimetre (don’t American nurses tend to say it that way?), a little unnecessarily aware of the word’s origins. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/27 "2017-03-24T06:23:20Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > We (not me) had one recently that left Chicago going to Europe. Near Montreal they discovered all the toilets were stopped up. Something was done improperly in servicing. Oops. They can’t take 250 people another 8 hours with no outhouses; the sanitation crisis was already well underway when the cockpit found out. Merde-y Merde-y Merde-y! ---
**Author:** ![edwardcoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cab0a1/32.png) [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/28 "2017-03-24T13:07:09Z")
> [@tallcoldone](#): > > From [http://atccommunication.com/mayday-versus-pan-pan](http://atccommunication.com/mayday-versus-pan-pan) > > "A Mayday radio call should be reserved for life threatening situations. These may include, but are not limited to: > > Loss, or imminent loss of aircraft control for any number of different reasons > aircraft upset by turbulence; > pilot incapacitation; > spatial disorientation; > control surface or structural failure; > engine failure that will lead to a forced landing/ditching/ejection/bailout; > > Or, an onboard fire. > > …A Pan-Pan call should be used for urgent situations that are not immediately life threatening, but require assistance from someone on the ground. These include, but are not limited to: > > Becoming lost; > A serious aircraft system failure, that requires an immediate route or altitude change; > Other emergencies that require immediate attention and assistance from the ground. > …If you feel your life is in jeopardy, call Mayday. If you need immediate assistance to deal with a serious situation that is not life threatening, call Pan-Pan." > > Does that answer your question? Mayday is also used for emergencies in [Ham Radio](http://www.dummies.com/programming/electronics/operating-your-ham-radio-in-an-emergency/). I remember being told to say “Mayday” three times. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/29 "2017-03-24T16:04:45Z")
And, just for completeness, the lowest level of “pay attention” (at sea) is "[securite, securite, securite"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9curit%C3%A9). Used for reporting safety and navigational information so that none of the other safe words have to be used 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/30 "2017-03-24T21:35:54Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > Out of curiosity, do pilots usually pronounce it “pan-pan” or “pon-pon?” It is technically pronounced “pon-pon,” and sailors generally say it that way either because they’re a traditional bunch or because the Coast Guard guidelines mention the pronunciation. I notice the FAA’s pilot/controller glossary doesn’t mention the pronunciation. Whoever told you the word should be pronounced “Pon” is incorrect. Panne in French is very close to the standard English pronunciation of “pan” ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/31 "2017-03-24T21:39:19Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > Whoever told you the word should be pronounced “Pon” is incorrect. That would be the [U.S. Coast Guard](https://www.uscg.mil/d11/dr/CallingTheCG.asp)… > [@](#): > > Use the proper pro-word. Use MAYDAY when you are in imminent distress, and the term PAN, PAN **(rhymes with on, on)** for situations where you are concerned, but not necessarily in immediate danger. My bolding. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/32 "2017-03-25T00:22:41Z")
To me, the French seems like it’s between “pan” and “pon.” It’s more of a “pahn” and neither one in English is a good translation. It’s also often said as a two syllable word, [pahn-nuh](https://forvo.com/search/panne/). If the point were to pronounce it in proper French, we’d be calling [maydeh or maydee](https://forvo.com/search/m'aider/) instead of mayday. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/33 "2017-03-25T01:27:58Z")
It’s nowhere close to maydee. The final syllable in m’aidez is a bit clipped. So not may-day, but meh-deh. Panne isn’t a two-syllable word either. It’s highly enunciated 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/34 "2017-03-25T02:06:34Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Merde-y Merde-y Merde-y! You win the thread!. Nicely done! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/35 "2017-03-25T03:47:18Z")
Wiktionary says its English pronunciation in IPA is “pæn-pæn” (to rhyme with can). [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pan-pan](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pan-pan) The US Coast Guard are free to suggest an alternative pronunciation of course but it’s not necessarily definitive. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/36 "2017-03-25T04:24:46Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > The US Coast Guard are free to suggest an alternative pronunciation of course but it’s not necessarily definitive. No, of course not. I was making the somewhat irrelevant point that in the US, the ‘pahn’ or ‘pon’ pronunciation is doctrine for anyone who’s had recreational or commercial boating education as to one degree or another, all that flows downhill from the Coast Guard. So when Barbarian says whoever told us that pronunciation was wrong, that might be true linguistically, but it’s not true in the sense that it’s codified in US rulemaking. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/37 "2017-03-25T06:55:21Z")
Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/38 "2017-03-27T16:01:48Z")
First off, thanks to everyone for an interesting thread. FTR, on this point in particular, it’s not clear to me now if I my churlish/snarky 1st reply was in order or not. But it pushed my buttons as to how the GQ dance goes when it’s good. > [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Here’s an example of a pan-pan. The plane is a small Cessna 152 on a training flight … Yes, in fact I was going to post a cite to a “declaring emergency” from an airliner which I saw just before the original “Mayday” one in OP–one which pilots here take issue–from which I inferred the notion of standard vocabulary. So it too would have been another entrant to the ATC Babel commented upon upthread. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Mayday in and of itself launches nothing except the pulse rate of the ATC controller hearing it. It’s what you ask for next that may trigger wider response… Speaking of the ATC/pilot/“mayday”-vocabulary/reality-in-the-air nexus, I just found [this awesome vid](https://youtu.be/Tq0Xgd3ggJM)which I want to share. Listen to the whole thing. I also like one viewer’s post of what a pilot at rock-bottom (for such is the one in the vid) must have as his life-saving mantra: “Climb, confess, comply.” Have any of you ever heard/been taught this as well? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/39 "2017-03-27T23:07:57Z")
Didn’t watch the vid. That, or very similar words to the same effect, are certainly the standard mantra taught to lightplane pilots about what to do when lost or getting there quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767/40 "2017-03-27T23:15:49Z")
By coincidence I just learned that, for the Catholic pilot, the Big ATC in the Sky or maybe later an FAA investigation, will ultimately need the _cur, quicquid, ubi, quando, quomodo, quoties, quibus auxiliis_ log as well. Seriously, the “confess” part always impressed me: years ago I was told what a [fighter] pilot is: someone who can go through a checklist while spinning out and on fire. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aviation-when-what-exactly-is-the-transmission-mayday-from-a-pilot/782767.md?page=1)