Why do pilots say roger and mayday?
by 
Harro Mique
ANSWERS: 3
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Roger is Morse code for 'message received'. Mayday originates from a French word meaning 'help me.'
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can you "help me"? = Pouvez-vous " m'aider "? (in french) m'aider (in french) sounds exactly like mayday in english
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Aside from the original meanings and sources of these words, the simple reason is this: Roger is used in place of "I copy" or "yes" or "ok" because it is an easily identifiable term for both Air Traffic Control and the other pilot to recognize. Affirmative is often used as well in place of yes. Mayday, a traditional emergency designation, is an easy and quick way to declare emergency without much fancy terminology.
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