Actions on Hearing COMMS

If you hear a mayday or pan pan call, your actions will differ slightly depending on the frequency it was broadcast on. If, as is usual, the call was made on a frequency monitored by ATCATC —Air Traffic Control, then it is normally ATCATC —Air Traffic Control that will respond. If ATCATC —Air Traffic Control do not, then you should. After that, you should try not to interfere with the conversation as best you can, but this may be unavoidable (or you may be rendering assistance) so radio silence is not mandatory. On the other hand, however, if the distress call is made on your own discrete (air to air) frequency, ATCATC —Air Traffic Control will by definition not be listening; at this point, you should immediately acknowledge the call.