Avionics
In a first, FAA approves voice-recognition system
Speech-recognition technology has come a long way in the last few years, especially as cellphone makers seek to add voice search capability to their latest

Speech-recognition technology has come a long way in the last few years, especially as cellphone makers seek to add voice search capability to their latest Web-enabled smartphones. So maybe it’s not too surprising that the FAA has signed off on a pilot-speech-recognition system that can enter GPS waypoints or victor airways en route simply by hearing them.

Created by startup firm VoiceFlight Systems of Troy, N.Y., the product, called the VFS101, was STC’d in a Cessna 182 in late July. It is approved for use with the Garmin GNS430 and GNS530 GPS receivers. Pilots talk to the GPS through the VFS101 by pressing a button on the yolk. The system then reads back the entire instruction. To accept it, the pilot clicks the yolk button twice and the waypoint is entered.