Two small boxes, one huge difference: In this episode, we dive deep into the world of flight recorders. Thomas Friesacher explains what Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) actually record, the point at which an aircraft is required to have these systems, and why not a single bit is readable without a decoder file.

Max guides us through the journey of the black box—from the search at sea to the BFU laboratory in Braunschweig, where memory boards are opened, cleaned, and resoldered, and finally to the strictly shielded CVR listening room, where only a few select individuals are permitted. Alex provides the hard facts on certification criteria, protection requirements, and the legal framework.

Additionally: How FADEC logs, Garmin track data, helicopter video recordings, ADS-B data from Flightradar networks, and the Open Glider Network in gliding are becoming the “data network” of a modern investigation. And why Just Culture and data privacy determine whether this data generates long-term safety—or mistrust.