Are "Black Boxes" really painted black

ar

By ar Mon Feb 6, 2017

With the advent of jet airliners in the late 1950s, analyzing critical details of aircraft performance became paramount during crash investigations, and two new devices were added as standard equipment on airliners. One was the “Flight Data Recorder” (FDR) which automatically records hundreds of parameters of flight information, such as engine performance, power settings, control surface inputs and movement, and all changes in attitude, airspeed, and altitude. The FDR provides investigators with a detailed "road map" of every second of flight up to the moment the aircraft comes to a stop. The second device is the “Cockpit Voice Recorder” (CVR) which captures recent intervals of conversation between pilots onboard the airliner, as well as Air Traffic Control personnel communicating with that aircraft. Valuable information can also be revealed through careful analysis of various sounds coming from inside the cockpit, such as warning horns, or the sequence of specific switches being activated. Although the FDR and CVR were originally referred to as “black boxes,” today with rapid post-crash identification in mind, they are actually painted a bright red-orange.

Have questions or want to share your thoughts?

Comments

No comments yet, be the first to write one.

Latest news and reviews

View more
US aviation safety under scrutiny – what the data really shows
Airline News

US aviation safety under scrutiny – what the data really shows

Apr 2, 2026

Josh Wood
Delta A330 engine fire forces emergency landing
Airline News

Delta A330 engine fire forces emergency landing

Mar 31, 2026

Sharon Petersen
London to New York: how BA, Virgin, JetBlue, United, Delta, and Norse compare
Airline News

London to New York: how BA, Virgin, JetBlue, United, Delta, and Norse compare

Mar 30, 2026

Josh Wood
India opens its latest airport amid growing passenger demand: Noida International Airport
Airline News

India opens its latest airport amid growing passenger demand: Noida International Airport

Mar 30, 2026

Dev Lunawat

Featured articles

View more
How did an Air Canada Express CRJ900 collide with a fire truck at La Guardia?
Airline News

How did an Air Canada Express CRJ900 collide with a fire truck at La Guardia?

Mar 23, 2026

Dev Lunawat
World's Best Airline Cabin Awards 2026
Airline News

World's Best Airline Cabin Awards 2026

Mar 18, 2026

Airline Ratings
World's Best Airlines for 2026 by Airline Ratings
Airline News

World's Best Airlines for 2026 by Airline Ratings

Mar 18, 2026

Airline Ratings
US aviation safety under scrutiny – what the data really shows
Airline News

US aviation safety under scrutiny – what the data really shows

Apr 2, 2026

Josh Wood