Garmin says they have received an increasing number of nominations, honors and accolades for Garmin Autoland, the first certified autonomous flight technology system. Garmin Autoland made history in 2020 when it achieved Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification, as well as certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Garmin Autoland was also recently selected as a 2020 Robert J. Collier Trophy finalist by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), with the winner to be announced in June.
“As we approach the one-year anniversary of Autoland’s first certification, it is a true honor to receive the praise and admiration from so many esteemed industry and consumer publications globally,” said Phil Straub, Garmin executive vice president and managing director, aviation. “The recognition earned by Garmin Autoland embodies the overall innovative and entrepreneurial spirit Garmin is known for and reinforces our steadfast commitment to design products and technologies that make flying safer for all.”
Part of the Garmin Autonomi family of autonomous safety-enhancing technologies for aircraft, Autoland is the world’s first certified system of its kind with the ability to activate during an emergency situation to autonomously control and land an aircraft without human intervention1. In the event of an emergency, such as pilot incapacitation, a passenger on board can activate Autoland to land the aircraft with a simple press of a dedicated button. Autoland can also activate automatically if the system determines it’s necessary. Once activated, the system immediately calculates a flight path to the most suitable airport and runway – while avoiding terrain and adverse weather – initiates an approach and automatically lands the aircraft.
As a result of its achievements, Garmin has been recognized with multiple honors for its development of Autoland, further highlighting this significant accomplishment in aviation history, the company says.