C. Donald Bateman: ‘Father’ Of Terrain Awareness Warning Systems Dies At 91

Charles Donald Bateman, also known as Don Bateman, was a Canadian electrical engineer who invented the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS). Bateman was born on March 8, 1932, and died on May 21, 2023, at the age of 91. On Thursday, May 25, 2023, his death was announced.

Bateman’s GPWS is responsible for a significant decrease in controlled flight into terrain mishaps, such as the Mount Erebus Tragedy involving Air New Zealand Flight 901.

Bateman was born in Saskatchewan and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in electrical engineering before starting his work at Sundstrand Corporation (later Honeywell).

Bateman spent most of his career as Chief Engineer, Flight Safety Avionics at Honeywell. Over his career, he developed innovative, cost-effective avionic flight systems.

Bateman’s most notable accomplishment was inventing the initial Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) in the late 1960s.

Currently, the United States requires the installation of GPWS on turbine aircraft carrying six or more passengers.

Honeywell has made nearly a billion dollars from Bateman’s technology.

Bateman left Honeywell on July 21, 2016, and died in May 2023.