FlightStack
The intelligence layer for terminal operations
FlightStack is VTI's AI-powered software platform for terminal area operations. It integrates perception, communication intelligence, and decision support into a single deployable system designed for the phases of flight that remain most complex and least automated.
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FlightStack reduces pilot workload and enhances safety in operations today. It is flight proven across 25+ airports. It also provides the software foundation for reduced-crew and autonomous operations as those programs mature.
Perceive
GPS-independent visual awareness for terminal operations.
Surface operations
Taxiway awareness, surface traffic detection, and terminal area situational understanding
Runway centerline tracking
Real-time lateral and heading offset during landing roll and takeoff
Runway hazard assessment
Detection of occupancy, obstacles, and traffic conflicts on the active runway
FlightStack uses camera-first perception to build a continuous, real-time understanding of the terminal environment — without relying on GPS, ILS, or any ground-based navigation infrastructure.
Terminal area awareness
Detect-and-avoid capability during visual approaches, traffic integration across the terminal environment
Approach-to-land navigation
Visual determination of aircraft position relative to the runway during approach, independent of ILS
Listen
From radio audio to structured flight intelligence.
ATC communications are real-time, ambiguous, and consequential. FlightStack's language stack processes every transmission — transcribing audio, identifying speakers, parsing clearances, and interpreting intent — continuously across ground and air phases.
Natural language interface
Voice-interactive aeronautical and weather query, keeping pilot attention where it belongs
Conflict detection
Real-time transcription of all intercom audio, with speaker identification and traffic association
Communication depiction
Structured visual display of active clearances, instructions, and traffic callouts
Clearance interpretation
Parsing and interpretation of ATIS, IFR clearances, taxi clearances, and landing and takeoff instructions
ATC transcription and diarization
Real-time transcription of all intercom audio, with speaker identification and traffic association
FlightStack's decision layer converts perception and communication intelligence into action — managing flight phase logic, interpreting operational intent, and constructing or adapting terminal routes based on clearances, constraints, traffic, and aircraft state.
Clearance-aware planning and terminal-phase execution.
Decide
Safe takeoff and landing advisory
Integrated assessment of runway state, traffic, and clearance before and during critical maneuvers
Clearance-aware taxi routing
Decision support that keeps the aircraft on the cleared route, with adaptive replanning when traffic or constraints require it
Voice-interactive pilot assistant
Conversational decision support that keeps crew eyes up during critical moments
Autonomous terminal execution
End-to-end terminal workflow capability for reduced-crew and uncrewed platforms
Flight phase management
Continuous tracking of taxi, takeoff, approach, landing, rollout, and transition logic
Built for the hardest problems in aviation.
Safety
Reduces risk of miscommunication and runway incursions
Resilience
Provides perception and navigation independent of GPS
Workload Reduction
Automates routine but critical tasks
Path to Autonomy
Solves terminal area autonomy first, enabling reduced-crew operations
FlightShepherd
FlightShepherd is the pilot and operator-facing application built on the FlightStack platform. It surfaces FlightStack's perception and communication intelligence directly to the crew through a cockpit-ready interface.
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Designed for general aviation and commercial operators, FlightShepherd reduces workload and improves situational awareness during the most demanding phases of every flight.
iPad Integration
Workload Reduction
Voice Driven Interactions
