| David Waren | |
|---|---|
 Warren with a prototype of a black box | |
| Born | 20 March 1925 Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory,Australia |
| Died | 19 July 2010 (aged 85) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney |
| Known for | Flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder |
EARLY LIFE
David Warren was born on Groote Eylandt, an island off the coast of the Northern Territory. He was the first child of European descent born on the island. He was sent to school at Launceston Grammar School in Tasmania and Trinity Grammar School in Sydney.
His father died in a 1934 Bass Strait air crash.
He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Science.
WORK
Warren became the principal research scientist at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation's Aeronautical Research Laboratories in Melbourne from 1952 to 1983. While there, he came up with the idea for the cockpit voice recorder after investigating a crash of the world's first commercial jet airliner, the Comet, in 1953. He thought it would be helpful for airline accident investigators to have a recording of voices in the cockpit.While devices had been previously used to record certain flight parameters, they did not include voice recording, and were not reusable, and therefore were not practical for routine commercial flights. Warren's invention, which relied on magnetic recording media, allowed easy erasing and re-recording, which made it practical for routine line service. Warren's concept of cockpit voice recording added a new dimension to instrument data in flight recorders, and has proved extremely valuable for accident investigation. Interestingly, some accidents where the CVR played a prominent role were solved not by the crew's recorded voices, but by other sounds incidentally recorded on the CVR, which provided a vital clue to the accident cause.
Warren died 19 July 2010, at age 85, in Melbourne. He was buried in a casket bearing the label "Flight Recorder Inventor; Do Not Open".
Professionally, David's interests have been divided between technical education and scientific research:
- 1944-46 - Teacher of mathematics and chemistry, Geelong Grammar School, Victoria.
- 1947-48 - Lecturer in chemistry, University of Sydney.
- 1948-51 - Scientific Officer, Woomera Rocket Range and Imperial College, London.
- 1952-83 - Principal Research Scientist, Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Melbourne, now part of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation.
- 1981-82 - Scientific Adviser (Energy) to the Victorian State Parliament.
David has also served in many voluntary positions, including as chairman of the Combustion Institute (Aust & NZ Section) for 25 years (1958-83), and as a committee member of the Chemical Society, the Institute of Fuel, and the Australian Institute of Energy.
David's other interests have included lecturing and organising meetings for the Council of Adult Education, Probus Groups, the Forum Society, the Rationalist Society, and the Morris Minor Car Club of Victoria, of which he has been founding chairman and patron for 25 years (1977-2002).
While a student at the University of Sydney, David met Ruth Meadows, who became his wife and lifetime supporter. Together, they have raised a family and shared an interest in science and education, arranging many educational tours in conjunction with international conferences. Now retired, David and Ruth live in Caulfield South, Victoria, in regular contact with their four children and seven grandchildren.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
Warren was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day honours in 2002.
In November 2008, Qantas named one of their Airbus A380s after Warren in honour of his services to aviation.
In recent years, David has received a number of awards in recognition of his contributions to aeronautics and energy research, including:
- The Australian Institute of Energy Medal, 1999.
- Hartnett Medal of the Royal Society of the Arts, 2000.
- Lawrence Hargrave Award of the Aeronautical Society, 2001.
In 2002, he was officially recognised in the 2002 Australia Day Honours list, being appointed an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia for his "service to the aviation industry, particularly through the early conceptual work and prototype development of the black box flight data recorder".