Piper Halo/Garmin autoland

[scott967 62]

So reality imitates flight sim, now with autoland.  I guess FAA gave some sort of type cert for it in the Piper M600/SLS.  Found a PR blurb on yt and the video actually looked like it was taken from flight sim.  What it's claimed to do:

 

"Autoland, as executed in the Halo system, can be initiated by an occupant of the airplane—typically a passenger—so its interface was designed to be transparent and straightforward to non-pilots. Once the passenger presses the activation button (a guarded installation on the instrument panel), the system calculates through a wide range of performance, operational, and weather data and criteria to conclude the nearest safe airport at which to land the airplane. Autoland communicates with ATC over standard frequencies so that not only are controllers alerted but also other pilots flying in the area. The autothrottle is used to control speed, and manage engine performance and power, allowing the M600 to climb, descend, or stay at a given altitude as appropriate as Autoland guides the airplane to the chosen airport."

 

No problem, I think I'll reach over and pop that switch

 

scott s.

.

 

[Chock 17,769]

Actual flight test video. All you need now it the THREE Million Dollars it costs for the M600 with this system installed. Or, you could spend the approximately five thousand Dollars it would take to have your frequent-flying family member get a PPL, rendering this system largely unnecessary, leaving you with just shy of three million bucks to buy maybe a nice house, a speedboat, and a cheaper GA aeroplane without this gizmo. 🤣

I've fixed the marketing blurb for them...

'Are you a doctor with 200 hours as a P1, who frequently takes off into known icing conditions and pea-soup IMC in your Bonanza V35 when coming home from a golfing weekend at the Hamptons, then freaks out at being completely disoriented? You are? Well boy, have we got a system for you...'

Edited May 25, 2020 by Chock

[DavidP 1,410]

If I had the 3 million I'd get the M600

[Ricardo41 5,949]

And this is a bad thing, why?

If I understood the video correctly, you can deactivate autoland anytime. I also find the overall approach to provide a "soothing" voice to calm down the (obviously) terrified passenger who would have to activate the system.

I consider this progress.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Ricardo41