First autoland equipped aircraft
On 18 May, Piper Aircraft announced that the company’s newest flagship, the Piper M600 / SLS, had received type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its new HALO safety system, making it the first Garmin Autoland.
“This is the first aircraft to be certified with one of the most significant advancements in general aviation history. As a company that has always held safety at the forefront of our culture, we are proud to be first to market with Autoland. Additionally, it is our great honour to pave the way for others to follow with this new technology.”
“The FAA certification of Autoland is a day of celebration for the entire aviation industry as we redefine the expectations of not only the pilot, but more importantly the passenger and what should be standard equipment on general aviation aircraft,” said Phil Straub, Garmin executive vice president and managing director of aviation. “Our congratulations to Piper for certifying this safety enhancing technology on the M600 and delivering one of the industry’s most significant innovations to our respective customers.”
The HALO Safety System with Garmin Autoland is standard equipment on all M600 / SLS aircraft. The Safety System includes a compilation of innovative technologies unique to the M600 SLS and the Garmin G3000 avionics’ suite. The system includes Auto-throttle, Emergency Descent Mode, Electronic Stability and Protection, Surface Watch, Safe Taxi, Flight Stream connectivity and more.
However, of greatest significance is the addition of Garmin Autoland digital technology that safely lands the aircraft at the nearest suitable airport in the event that the pilot is incapacitated. In addition, the system, which is capable of activating automatically or via a dedicated button, communicates with air traffic control and provides visual and verbal information for passengers. Autoland activation can be cancelled at any time using the autopilot disconnect button.
The M600 / SLS is available for purchase now through the Piper Dealer Network. According to Piper, deliveries of Autoland-equipped M600s will begin immediately. Garmin expects Autoland to be available for the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet and Daher TBM 940 shortly with additional aircraft approvals in the works.
We are delighted to announce the certification of the M600 / SLS with the HALO Safety System by the FAA said Simon Caldecott, Piper Aircraft President and CEO.