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Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organizations such as firefighters , police forces, and transportation organizations also use the term.
A call that originates as a "pan-pan" signal might be followed by a Mayday distress signal if the situation deteriorates to the point of "grave and imminent danger," thus warranting immediate action (intervention, assistance, response) on the part of listeners in accordance with standard operating practices for distress signaling.
Distress signals are communicated by transmitting radio signals, displaying a visually observable item or illumination, or making a sound audible from a distance. A distress signal indicates that a person or group of people, watercraft , aircraft , or other vehicle is threatened by a serious or imminent danger and requires immediate assistance ...
Fishermen rely on mayday calls for emergency help at sea —know how to make one when needed.
The correct format for a Mayday call is as follows: [The first part of the signal is known as the "call"] Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, This is (vessel name repeated three times, followed by call sign if available) [The subsequent part of the signal is known as the "message"] Mayday (vessel name)
Radiotelephony signal Radiotelegraph signal 1 Distress calls, distress messages, and distress traffic MAYDAY SOS: 2 Urgency messages, including messages preceded by the medical transports signal. PAN, PAN or PAN, PAN MEDICAL XXX 3 Communications relating to direction finding QSH, QTF 4 Safety information SÉCURITÉ TTT 5 Meteorological messages
Radio silence can be used in nautical and aeronautical communications to allow faint distress calls to be heard (see Mayday). In the latter case, the controlling station can order other stations to stop transmitting with the proword "Seelonce Seelonce Seelonce". (The word uses an approximation of the French pronunciation of the word silence ...
In addition to distress signals like Mayday and pan-pan, most vessels, especially passenger ships, use some emergency signals to alert the crew on board.In some cases, the signals may alert the passengers to danger, but, in others, the objective is to conceal the emergency from unaffected passengers so as to avoid panic or undue alarm.