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Interestingly the international ground air code for requiring help is normally an X or a V. But I would still write SOS or HELP. You can imagine the scenario:
by dhsysusbsjsi 6y ago
Interestingly the international ground air code for requiring help is normally an X or a V.
But I would still write SOS or HELP.
You can imagine the scenario: “Hey Jane check out that - looks like a V in the sand” “Heh yeah”. “Weird”.
or
“Hey Jane does that say HELP?” “Heh yeah. Wanna check it out?” “Yeah let’s take a look”.
- waheoo 6y agoUniversal attention sign is usually three of the same. Three dots in a triangle, three flashs in a row, etc. Its just easy for the human mind to detect it as an unnatural pattern. It still probably better to use SOS or help but sometimes that's not an option.
- anyfoo 6y agoI can easily see someone making, for example, three giant triangles or circles for a variety of reasons—fun, art, or engineering—without the intent to alarm anyone. If someone were to visibly write out SOS or HELP, though, they are either in need of help, or extraordinarily careless (or even malicious) in their deceit. But that’s unlikely enough to still warrant checking in.
- waheoo 6y agoMorse code for SOS was literally based on on this idea of threes. ...---... I for one, would investigate three triangles in the sand in a remote area. It might be a fun art project for that back country woodsman, but it's much, much, more likely a distress signal, whatever form it takes.
- anyfoo 6y agoSure, but if I were in a situation where I needed help, I'd choose the unambiguous signal, that even people who have never heard of "the idea of threes" grasp immediately. "HELP" or "SOS" ist just very, very obvious.
- blaser-waffle 6y agoWhile hunting, 3 rapid shots usually means distress or "need attention". e.g. you slide down a hill and screw up your ankle and knee -- fire off 3 rounds. A lot of hunting regs also limit you to 2+1 rounds (2 in mag, 1 in chamber) for sporting purposes, so firing off 3 rounds also implies you're deliberately emptying your gun.
- esperent 6y agoHow cross culture are HELP or SOS? We're talking about being on a tiny remote island here. There's no guarantee that the people who see your message speak English, or have much exposure to western culture at all. Is SOS known to all cultures?
- rapnie 6y ago"No, I can't read what it says. Let's fly ahead." :)
- esperent 6y agoWell, yeah. But then any message would work. The person I was responding to said you should write SOS or HELP instead of the international air codes for help (X or V), which any pilot is almost certain to know.
- Delk 6y agoI don't think English would be the barrier. My parents would have known SOS decades ago, and I don't come from an English-speaking country. I am from Europe, though, so I don't know if it might be more specific to Western culture. Although I also imagine pilots would have more of an exposure through either experience or education.
- Grue3 6y ago>Is SOS known to all cultures? At least all cultures who listen to ABBA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvChjHcABPA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvChjHcABPA
- dhsysusbsjsi 6y agoEnglish is the international language for aviation. All pilots speak English to a required standard.
- rorykoehler 6y agoSurely the best approach is to do every variation you can think of.