I’m still curious about what Pan Pan means though. And the other call the poster mentioned “securite’ securite’”, that too would be a French term.
Interesting that French terms are used for naval distress calls since the Crown’s navy has always ruled the seas, but I guess it’s as you say, English and French got a bit mashed together for a few hundred years.
As with mayday (from venez m'aider, "come help me"), the urgency signal pan-pan derives from French. In French, a panne ([pan] — /pɑːn/, "pahn") is a breakdown, such as a mechanical failure. In English, it is also sometimes[vague] pronounced as /pæn/ ("pan"). A three-letter backronym, "possible assistance needed" or "pay attention now" derives from pan. Maritime and aeronautical radio communications courses use those as mnemonics to convey the important difference between mayday and pan-pan.
The international airline language used to be French, until circa 1972 (I think)
“I’m still curious about what Pan Pan means though. And the other call the poster mentioned “securite’ securite’”, that too would be a French term.
Interesting that French terms are used for naval distress calls since the Crown’s navy has always ruled the seas, but I guess it’s as you say, English and French got a bit mashed together for a few hundred years.”
(Je Ne parle pa Francais Y’all!)
We could ask the internet, but we have experts right here on FR! Ransom could probably do the French, but LonePalm has few more ship board duty watches under his belt! (Am I wrong Ransom?)