Dimensions
151 x 234 x 19mm
In 'Black Box', Janice Peterson Witham reveals for the first time the real-life drama of how the 'black box' Cockpit Voice Recorder was conceived and developed. Fifty years ago, 28-year-old Australian rocket scientist David Warren thought up the idea of recording cockpit conversation as a tool for air accident investigation. This brilliant insight eventually changed the course of aviation history, but it set David Warren on a journey marked by disappointment, struggle and, worst of all, indifference.
David Warren was born on Groote Eylandt in 1925 to missionary parents. The family later moved to Tasmania, but David's father was tragically killed in 1934 in one of Australia's earliest air disasters. David was only nine years old at the time. The last gift he received from his father was a crystal radio set, which triggered David's lifelong interest in electronics.
In 'Black Box', Janice Peterson Witham chronicles the human aspects of the Cockpit Voice Recorder story - the inspiration, the setbacks, the encouragement and disappointment, the initial lack of interest in Australia and the enthusiastic reception overseas.
Today, the Cockpit Voice Recorder is regarded as one of aviation's greatest safety devices. It is not, in fact, a 'black box': there are actually two boxes, and neither of them is black! The book outlines many tragic air disasters where the CVR has provided vital evidence in determining the cause of the plane crash.
