Flying via voice output system
Voice Technology Helps Pilot Complete Record Breaking Flight

Voice technology has helped blind adventurer Miles Hilton-Barber set a new
record by flying a microlight aircraft from Biggin Hill in England to Sydney
in Australia. The flight, which followed the route of an air race staged in
1919, aims to raise 1 million pounds to help the fight against preventable
blindness in developing countries. 

Hilton-Barber navigated the 13,500 miles over 21 countries using instruments
specially adapted to deliver voice output of the aircraft's altitude,
direction, and wind speed. He entered the readings into an onboard computer
using a wireless keyboard strapped to his leg. 

He was accompanied by a sighted co-pilot, who was responsible for speaking to
control towers and providing back-up in case of an emergency. The journey
began on March 7 and took 55 days to complete, requiring the pilots to deal
with extreme weather conditions such as heavy snow in the mountains of
Lebanon, and tropical rainstorms. 

The flight will raise funds for Seeing Is Believing, a project run by
Standard Chartered Bank to promote treatment of eye cataracts in Asia and
Africa. 

From E-access Bulletin (May 2007), a free monthly email newsletter:
http://www.headstar.com/eab

Submitted by Alan Cantor

Links:
Seeing Is Believing Project
http://www.seeingisbelieving.org.uk/

Miles Hilton-Barber
http://www.mileshilton-barber.com/
http://www.motivationspeaker.org/
http://www.nctd.org.uk/Conference/Conf2002/Hilton-Barber.asp

The Blind Pilot Flying the Channel
http://www.nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm04/bm0412/bm041207.htm

From London to Sydney by Microlight!
http://www.seeingisbelieving.org.uk/microlightadventure/