While underway with the water Taxi in New York harbor I decided to run a fire drill with a simulated engine room fire. I was off Erie Basin in the Bayridge Flats and began the drill with my crew. While the crew were doing there thing i simulated a mayday call on the VHF radio. I thought i was loosly holding the mic but some how it was keyed. It went somthing like this...
"Mayday...Mayday...Mayday...This is the taxi John Keith off Erie Basin, 78 pax and crew on board, fire in the starbord engine room."
To my amazement, the CG responds and I realized my mic was keyed. before i could respond to the CG that i was performing a drill and that there was no emergency, CH 16 lights up...
"CG, this is fire boat Bravest, we're enroute to the boat fire off Erie Basin"
"CG, this NYPD harbor Charle enroute"
"CG, this is NYPD rescue helo 6328, 4 minute ETA"
"CG, this is Army Corps boat, we're 1/4 mile from that location, enroute"
It seemed like an eternity before I could break in and advise everyone to stand down because it was only a drill. I took a ribbing for a long time after that and learned my lesson about holding tne mic.
"Mayday...Mayday...Mayday...This is the taxi John Keith off Erie Basin, 78 pax and crew on board, fire in the starbord engine room."
To my amazement, the CG responds and I realized my mic was keyed. before i could respond to the CG that i was performing a drill and that there was no emergency, CH 16 lights up...
"CG, this is fire boat Bravest, we're enroute to the boat fire off Erie Basin"
"CG, this NYPD harbor Charle enroute"
"CG, this is NYPD rescue helo 6328, 4 minute ETA"
"CG, this is Army Corps boat, we're 1/4 mile from that location, enroute"
It seemed like an eternity before I could break in and advise everyone to stand down because it was only a drill. I took a ribbing for a long time after that and learned my lesson about holding tne mic.