Why do pilots say roger and mayday?
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.
