Mayday!

[mulro767]

Well I had no idea! You learn something new everyday.

Hope I never have to use it.

[yvesg]

Mulro, il me fera plaisir de vous aider si jamais vous avez d'autres interrogations semblables.

Yves

[yvesg]

Here is one:

Alarme or Alarm

Comes from "à l'arme" which means "get to your weapon"

During those years, an alarm meant you were under attack.

Yves

[mooniac15u]

I assume that those people on 121.5 who keep saying, "en garde" are getting ready for a duel.

[Danb]

Yes...what the heck are you trying to say? We're south of the border!

[mulro767]

What about the ICAO emergency call of "PAN PAN PAN"?  What's the French meaning?  Bread bread bread?

[laytonl]

Broken broken broken

At least I believe that is correct. Lee

[yvesg]

You got that right Lee. There is a French word for failure called "panne"

Yves

[David Mazer]

How did the French get to be the supplier of all words for disaster?

[Guest]

Could it be because the French invented aviation?

Clarence

[Hank]

I was having other thoughts about our alleged friends across the Pond . . .

[OR75]

I believe they invented a few aviation related words like fuselage , empennage , aileron ...

But usually you don't need to yell those at ATC . To your A&P maybe.

[Jeff_S]

The more common vernacular in French, when crying for help, is "au secour!"  The English word, although seldom used, is similar: succor. But nobody wants to yell "Sucker Sucker Sucker" on the radio waves...that could be open to MUCH misinterpretation!