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AI ATC Transcription Apps for Pilots (2026): ATC Whisper, AvNav ClearText, Clearance AI and PilotGPT Compared

Apps that turn ATC radio into text in the cockpit: ATC Whisper, AvNav ClearText, Clearance AI and PilotGPT, with prices, devices, the audio cable you need and the rules.

Updated 2026-10-31 · Facts and prices checked against vendor sites

Short answer: if you fly with an iPad and want to try live ATC-to-text today for free, join the ATC Whisper beta. If you want transcription built into a full EFB, AvNav's ClearText is included in its paid CoPilot plan. Clearance AI goes further and pulls each clearance onto a scoreboard, but it isn't released yet. All of them are advisory, non-certified second ears: you still listen, read back and comply.

Updated October 31, 2026: features, prices and requirements checked tonight on each vendor's own site. These apps run speech recognition on the device, so they keep working with no cell signal in flight.

The ATC transcription apps side by side

App	What it does with ATC audio	Price (as listed)	Device and setup	Status
ATC Whisper	Live transcripts as color-coded flight strips (ATC, other pilots, you), call-sign alert with haptics, frequencies and altimeter pulled out, full recording with timestamps you can scroll back and export; Companion Mode mirrors the feed to a second iPad for an instructor or safety pilot	Free during the beta, no card	iPad or iPhone on iOS 17+, 2 GB free for the model; a USB-C aviation audio cable for clean audio (or the device near the speaker). Real time on M1+ iPads and recent iPhones; older devices may lag	Private TestFlight beta; Android later
AvNav (ClearText)	Turns radio calls into persistent on-screen text inside a full EFB (charts, plates, weather, traffic, W&B, logbook, 3D map)	Explorer free (ground mode); CoPilot $149.99/yr founders price (regular $229.99/yr), 30-day free trial. Offline ATC transcription is listed on CoPilot	iPad, iPhone, Android, web, macOS, Windows	Available
Clearance AI	Transcribes on-device and extracts altitude, heading, frequency, squawk, taxi, hold-short and approach clearances (43 types matched to FAA Order JO 7110.65 phraseology) onto a live scoreboard, mirrored to the lock screen; imports a ForeFlight .fpl	Free manual scoreboard (you tap in what ATC gave you); Pro priced in the app, 14-day trial on the annual plan	iPhone and iPad on iOS 26+, with an audio splitter from your headset	Waitlist; no App Store listing yet
PilotGPT	Offline ATC transcription as part of an on-device AI copilot that answers from your aircraft's POH (500+ models) with FAA charts	$49.99/mo; $29.99/mo for student pilots, CFIs and future airline pilots	iPhone and iPad	Available

Prices change often. See every plan on our pilot AI app prices page.

Which one fits you

You want to try it free on your next flight: ATC Whisper. Check its device table first; the vendor says slower iPads can't keep up with live ATC.
You're shopping for an EFB anyway: AvNav, where ClearText comes with the plan instead of being one more app on the iPad.
You're an instrument student copying clearances alone: watch Clearance AI. Its free manual scoreboard works as a digital kneeboard until the live copilot ships.
You want a POH and regs assistant too: PilotGPT, at a student and CFI price.
You're a CFI: a recorded, timestamped transcript makes the radio part of a debrief concrete. ATC Whisper exports the log and its Companion Mode lets the instructor watch the feed on a second iPad.

Want your radio calls to need less help? Get our free ATC radio drill.

How student pilots get the most out of it

Use it to debrief, not to fly. After the lesson, scroll the transcript with your CFI and find the calls you missed or read back wrong.
Turn the misses into practice. Say the calls you fumbled out loud on the ground. Our ATC radio calls practice drill has 20 to start with, and how to practice radio calls with AI covers the apps where an AI controller talks back.
Don't let the screen replace your ears. If you're waiting for text to know what ATC said, you're behind. Ask for "say again" instead.

What to keep in mind

Advisory only. ATC Whisper and Clearance AI both say they're non-certified and don't replace listening to and complying with ATC. Speech recognition can drop or misread a digit on a noisy frequency, so the clearance is what you heard and read back.
The rules don't move. You still read back and comply with clearances (14 CFR 91.123), and as pilot in command you remain directly responsible for the flight (14 CFR 91.3).
Portable electronic devices. For IFR flights and air carrier operations, 14 CFR 91.21 requires the operator to determine that a portable electronic device won't interfere with navigation or communication systems. Check with your CFI or school before wiring a phone or iPad into the intercom.
Audio wiring. Clean input usually means a cable or splitter between the headset or intercom and the iPad. Set it up on the ground and make sure it doesn't affect your own transmissions.
Privacy. ATC Whisper says audio stays on the device unless you choose to contribute it to its training data.

Not legal advice. These apps are supplementary aids; ATC instructions, your CFI and the FAA are the authorities. Cockpit Index isn't paid by any app on this page.

Compare every radio tool on our ATC radio page, or see what's actually free in ATC radio practice.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an app that transcribes ATC in real time?

Yes. ATC Whisper (free iOS beta via TestFlight) transcribes ATC on an iPad or iPhone in real time with call-sign alerts. AvNav's ClearText does it inside the AvNav EFB on its CoPilot plan ($149.99/yr founders price, 30-day trial), and PilotGPT includes offline ATC transcription at $49.99/mo ($29.99/mo for students and CFIs). Clearance AI, which also extracts clearances onto a scoreboard, is on a waitlist.

Do ATC transcription apps work without internet in the airplane?

The ones listed here run speech recognition on the device. ATC Whisper and Clearance AI transcribe fully on-device, AvNav lists offline ATC transcription on its CoPilot plan, and PilotGPT says it works fully offline.

What do I need to connect an iPad to my aircraft radio?

Usually an aviation audio cable or splitter that taps headset or intercom audio into the iPad. ATC Whisper recommends a USB-C aviation audio cable for clean input (or placing the device near the speaker), and Clearance AI uses an audio splitter from your headset. Set it up on the ground first.

Can I rely on an AI transcript instead of listening to ATC?

No. These apps are advisory and not certified. You must still listen, read back and comply with ATC clearances (14 CFR 91.123). Use the transcript as a backup and for debriefing.

Is ATC transcription useful for student pilots?

Mostly for debriefing: reviewing the exact calls after a lesson with your CFI shows which readbacks were wrong or missed. Practicing the calls out loud on the ground, with a drill or an AI radio trainer, builds the skill itself.