Garmin
Garmin Autoland will also be available on Cirrus Vision Jet and Daher TBM 940. Credit: Business Wire.

Navigation equipment manufacturer Garmin has secured the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) general aviation aircraft certification for its Autoland system.

The system is designed to control and land the aircraft without human intervention and can activate automatically or by the pilot or passengers to land the aircraft during an emergency.  

Upon activation, the system considers performance, operational and environmental factors and plans a landing approach.

Autoland can also establish communication with air traffic control (ATC) to inform of its flight plan to land at a suitable runway.

The Piper M600 aircraft will be made available with Garmin Autoland system into its G3000 integrated flight deck, which will provide clear, passenger-centric visual and verbal communications.

It shows aircraft’s location on a map alongside information such as the destination airport, estimated time of arrival, distance to the destination airport and fuel remaining.

The display also shows airspeed, altitude and where the aircraft is heading.

Following the simple instructions on the display, passengers can also communicate with ATC.

Garmin aviation executive vice-president and managing director Phil Straub said: “What started as a vision to develop the world’s first Autoland system for general aviation, became a reality today as we deliver one of the industry’s most significant innovations.

“Congratulations to the entire Garmin team who contributed to the development and certification of Autoland – one of the industry’s most forward-thinking technologies that will forever enhance aviation safety and save lives.”

Garmin Autoland will also be available on Cirrus Vision Jet and Daher TBM 940.