INSIDE D&D
There is somebody out there
We all know Distress & Diversion are on hand for emergencies, but that’s not all they do – and they’d like to hear more from you
S
o here’s the situation: storms were coming in like trains, I was never going to get on the ground before they hit and the alternate had
already been wiped out. So that’s head to the next nearest airfield and land, then – the trouble was it was full ATC and the frequency card together with the airfield guide (it was a local trip to a well known destination) were out of reach. Tricky. The simplest and quickest solution,
bearing in mind the speed with which the weather was changing, was to call D&D (London Centre), explain the situation and ask for the airfield’s frequency; after all they aren’t simply there for emergencies but, in their words, ‘for those who are experiencing difficulties which could lead to a state of emergency’. That would be me. Some people are worried about calling D&D, but they shouldn’t be. Yes of course
they’re there there for a full-on emergency, but the service is also there to aid pilots when necessary. In the UK, D&D’s 121.5 MHz frequency
is actually operated by the MoD (RAF(U) Swanwick) at NATS in Swanwick and does what it says: it helps pilots in distress and facilitates diversions as necessary 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As well as giving frequencies to hapless
pilots, D&D has UK-wide coverage and can track an aircraft in seconds using an auto-triangulation system, so those ‘temporarily unsure’ of their position can get an instant position fix (potentially vital if you are close to somewhere like the London TMA) via auto-triangulation of direction finding bearings. Auto-triangulation overlays bearings
onto an Ordnance Survey map and where they cross provides an approximate
indication of where you are, then the controllers can tell you how to get to where you want to be. The beauty of using OS maps means that position reports can be given with reference to towns, villages and geographical features. Steers can be provided to the nearest aerodrome or any airfield requested. D&D actually far prefer it if pilots make
an early call rather than flying deeper into a hole that will take a big effort to extract them from. Inadvertently flying into a busy ATZ, for example, can have serious consequences for other pilots, ATC and passengers. Equally, if a pilot is experiencing mechanical problems and hunting for the nearest airfield to recover to, the sooner D&D is contacted, the quicker they can begin helping with the necessary arrangements. Obviously they don’t have emergencies all the time and so they’re quite keen to practice them – and for pilots to practice for themselves. D&D actually recommend that GA pilots carry out practice Pans every so often. All you have to do is simply dial up 121.5, listen in for a few seconds to ensure a real emergency isn’t taking place, and then request a ‘practice Pan’. Not only will this boost confidence (and speed) to carry out a genuine one in the future, it will also keep the D&D controllers on their toes. So, if you’ve never tried it, here’s some phraseology to help: AIRCRAFT – “London Centre, callsign xxxx, request practice Pan.”
LONDON – “Callsign xxxx, London Centre, practice Pan acknowledged, continue when ready” (Note: position report may be given).
AIRCRAFT – “Practice Pan, practice Pan, practice Pan, Callsign xxxx, nature of practice emergency and assistance required.”
or...Aircraft - “Training fix, Training fix, Training fix, Callsign Training fix.”
LONDON – “Callsign xxxx, London Centre, your position is ......, do you require further assistance?” Or, perhaps, you’ll just simply ask for the
airfield frequency you really needed to know rather quickly... D&D should have a slogan that says something like ‘It’s nice to know there’s someone out there’. For a full guide to D&D go to
raf.mod.uk/latccmilswanwick/rafcms/ mediafiles/C163D1C5_5056_A318_ A8136E04B5CB325C.pdf
Autumn/Winter 2016 CLUED UP 09
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