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| Mayday calls are transmitted in life-threatening situations. |
Mayday Mayday Mayday
Why Do Ships And Airplanes Use The Term ‘Mayday’ When They’re In Danger?
Unless you’ve
been living under a rock for years, you’ve likely heard the term Mayday, especially in critical situations involving
ships and aircraft.
Have you ever
wondered what the story is behind this unusual word? I mean, it’s not even
a proper English word, right?
Why do
sailors/pilots use this word when their ship is about to sink or when their
aircraft has experienced a critical technical snag that could bring them
down?
What’s wrong with
using English words like ‘help’ or ‘danger’ instead?
Does it have
anything to do with a day in the month of May, or is it just another term in
aviation/maritime jargon without a definite meaning that just stuck?
Short answer: The term Mayday is derived from a French term ‘m’aidez‘, which basically means ‘help me’.
What is ‘Mayday’?
Mayday is a special word used as a distress signal in
radio communication by mariners and aviators all over the world.
If a
ship/aircraft faces immediate danger that could be life-threatening to the crew
and passengers, the radio operators onboard will broadcast a Mayday signal to
request help.
Although it’s
typically known to be used by the crew of ships and aircraft, there are
some countries whose local government organizations, such as police, fire safety
department, and transportation authorities also use Mayday as a distress signal to express an imminent
threat to life.
What’s the story behind the word ‘Mayday’?
The word ‘Mayday’
might, quite understandably, lead one to believe that it has something to do
with a particular day in the month of May, but let me assure you that it’s not
even distantly related to springtime.
The word Mayday is actually an anglicization, or in simple
words, the English approximation of a French phrase “m’aidez”
or “m’aider”, which literally means ‘help me’.
It’s said to have
originated with a senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London named Frederick Stanley
Mockford in 1923.
He was asked to
come up with a word that could be used in distress signals that could
easily be understood by all pilots and support staff at airports.
Since much of the
air traffic at that point was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris,
he proposed the word “m’aider”, which is actually a
shortened version of “venez m’aider”.
The term was
well-received by users and was consequently adopted as the standard voice call
in place of SOS (an international Morse code distress signal that was
previously in use) by the International Radiotelegraph Convention of Washington
in 1927.
Today, the term
‘Mayday’ has become synonymous with imminent peril or a life-threatening
situation.
How is a Mayday call transmitted over radio?
Have you ever
noticed in movies/TV shows depicting a ‘Mayday situation’ in a ship or plane
that they never just say “Mayday, our ship has developed a major leak” or
“Mayday, both our main engines have failed”?
This is because
there’s a particular, predefined way in which a Mayday signal needs to be
transmitted.
The word ‘Mayday’
must be said loud and clear three times in a row, followed by the call sign and
type of ship/aircraft, location details, type of emergency and its severity,
the number of persons onboard and any other vital piece of information that the
transmitter considers to be important enough to be relayed.
For more
clarification, here is a distress message format released
by the US Coast Guard.
Note that it’s
necessary to repeat the word Mayday three times in a row so that it cannot be
confused with a similar-sounding phrase by the receiver.
Also, it helps
any potential receivers to confidently know that it’s an actual Mayday
call and not a message about a Mayday
call.
If a ship cannot
send a Mayday signal due to problems with its radio system, a Mayday relay can
also be transmitted by another ship on its behalf.
Here’s a
real-life example of a mayday call made by MV Summit Venture when it collided
with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in 1980, resulting in its collapse.
A very important
thing to remember about making a Mayday call is that it could land you in
prison and burn a large hole in your pockets if it’s not a legitimate
emergency!
Yes, that’s
right. Making a false Mayday call is a federal crime in the US and could result
in you being incarcerated for 6 six years and/or having to pay a fine of
up to $250,000, as well as restitution to the Coast Guard.
In other words,
don’t radio a Mayday signal just because a tap in the kitchenette onboard your
boat stopped working; doing that might land you in some real trouble!
Ashish is a
Science graduate (Bachelor of Science) from Punjabi University (India). He
spends a lot of time watching movies, and an awful lot more time discussing
them. He likes Harry Potter and the Avengers, and obsesses over how thoroughly
Science dictates every aspect of life… in this universe, at least.
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