Practice PAN / VDF (QDM)
intermediateUK phraseologyUncertain of position on a training flight, use the Practice PAN procedure to get help without tying up the frequency for a real emergency: prefix "Practice PAN" three times, request a QDM (a magnetic heading to the field), read it back, and cancel cleanly. UK CAP 413 phraseology.
Briefing
You are on a solo cross-country in Cessna 152 Golf Delta Echo November Alpha and have become unsure of your position. Gloucester Approach offers a VDF service. Practise the urgency procedure properly — the "Practice" prefix keeps it a training exercise, not a real distress call.
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- Exchange 1
Make your Practice PAN call to Gloucester Approach. Include the "Practice PAN" prefix (spoken three times), your callsign, your problem, and request a QDM.
💡 The "Practice PAN" prefix (spoken three times) requests urgency assistance as a training exercise — it must never be replaced by a real "Mayday" or "Pan Pan". State who you are, the nature of the problem, and what you want (a QDM).
- Exchange 2
ATC: “Golf Delta Echo November Alpha, Gloucester Approach, roger your Practice PAN, transmit for QDM.”
The controller needs a transmission to take a bearing. Transmit your callsign twice so the DF equipment can get a fix.
💡 VDF works by measuring the bearing of your radio transmission, so the controller needs you to talk. Passing your callsign twice gives the equipment a clean signal to take the bearing from.
- Exchange 3
ATC: “Golf Delta Echo November Alpha, Gloucester Approach, QDM three one five degrees, class bravo.”
Read back the QDM. It is the magnetic heading to steer, so treat it like a heading readback.
💡 A QDM is the magnetic heading (assuming no wind) to steer to reach the station — read it back like a heading. Do not confuse it with a QDR, which is the magnetic bearing FROM the station.
- Exchange 4
ATC: “Golf November Alpha, you are eight miles south, the field is on your nose.”
You now have the airfield in sight. Cancel the practice emergency.
💡 Close the exercise out explicitly with "Cancel Practice PAN" so the controller knows the training urgency is over. You would cancel a real one with "Cancel Pan" — never "Cancel Mayday" for a practice.
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