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In November 2025, the Aviation Heritage Museum in Bull Creek announced The Black Box, an interactive exhibition about the people, aircraft and pivotal moments that shaped Western Australian aviation. Its announced run began on November 15 and was intended to continue through the December school holidays; those dates have passed, and the exhibition’s current status is not established.
What The Black Box exhibition explored
The exhibition was based on a book of the same name and invited visitors to explore stories connected to aircraft at the Aviation Heritage Museum. The November 2025 announcement described it as a self-guided educational tour, using people, planes and significant events to tell Western Australian aviation history.
PerthNow’s report by Michael Palmer, published November 8, 2025, is the source for the exhibition details below. The museum’s current exhibition listing and operating arrangements are not established here.
Ken Pittman’s effort to save surplus DC-3s
The central story in the announcement concerned Ken Pittman, a former RAAF instructor and long-time museum volunteer. According to PerthNow, Pittman discovered classified RAAF orders directing that surplus Douglas DC-3 aircraft be used for target practice. He disclosed the orders to the press in an effort to save the aircraft, prompting national outrage. One of the historic aircraft later found a permanent home at the Bull Creek museum.
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The report presents this sequence as a story about preservation as well as aviation: aircraft can become historical artefacts, and people’s decisions can affect whether they survive.
Two virtual-reality experiences described in the announcement
A Lancaster bomber mission
One VR experience was described as being based on a real sound recording of a Lancaster bomber crew. It recreated a night bombing mission from Nottinghamshire toward Europe.
A Macchi jet over Perth
A second experience placed participants virtually in the pilot seat of a Macchi Advanced Jet Trainer flying over Rottnest and Perth. These are experiences described in the 2025 announcement; their present availability has not been verified.
What was announced about the launch and access
The report scheduled the exhibition launch for Friday, November 14, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Aviation Heritage Museum, 2 Bull Creek Drive, Bull Creek. It said the event would include readings and reflections from Ken Pittman and Geoffrey Thomas, the book’s author and an aviation expert.
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The exhibition was announced to open to visitors on November 15, 2025, and remain accessible through the December school holidays at no additional cost. These were the original arrangements, not current visitor information. The report does not establish whether the exhibition remains open in 2026, nor does it confirm present hours, admission, or ticketing. Check the museum directly before planning a visit.
The book behind the exhibition
PerthNow described The Black Box as a forthcoming companion book by Geoffrey Thomas, developed in collaboration with the museum. The report did not provide a publisher, publication date, ISBN, format, price or verified sales outlet, so current publication and purchase details cannot be confirmed from that announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the exhibition’s framing matters
Rather than presenting aircraft only as machines, The Black Box was announced as a way to connect them with the people and decisions around them. Pittman’s reported disclosure of the DC-3 orders gives that approach a concrete example: the story of an aircraft includes not only its design and service, but also the efforts that helped preserve it. The VR experiences added a different perspective, inviting visitors to encounter aviation through a crew recording or a simulated cockpit.
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