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III operations. Instead, they are last-ditch emergency systems that can take control of the aircraft in the event of pilot incapacitation or total loss of situational aware- ness. This emergency mode is activated with the push of a single button (for manual activation) or via automatic activation (should the pilot fail to interact with the avionics systems in a timely or appropriate manner). Upon doing so, control is removed from the pilot, and the aircraft will climb/descend as necessary and divert to the near- est suitable airport via a terrain-aware navigation route. ATC and the passengers will also be advised of what is happening automatically. The aircraft will fly the most appropriate instrument approach procedure, extending landing gear and flaps when appropriate, then land, roll to a complete stop, and shut down.
Piper led the pack to market by introducing their “HALO” emergency autoland system on the M600/SLS in 2020. This milestone represented the first FAA-certified emergency autoland system within general aviation. Cirrus followed quickly with the “SafeReturn” system on their second-generation SF-50 VisionJet. That marked the first turbojet-powered aircraft certified with such a system. Daher dubs their system “HomeSafe,” on the TBM-960, built upon the foundation of the autothrottle system they introduced on the prior TBM-940 model. Regardless of the specifically branded name for the system, all are based on the Garmin G3000 avionics suite hardware, software, data inputs, and autopilot/autothrottle control.
Conclusion
These new and emerging technologies are indeed game changers in the world of cabin-class turbine aircraft. Autothrottles significantly lower pilot workload during critical phases of flight while providing greater precision. With envelope & stability protection software, synthetic vision displays, terrain awareness, and crew alerting systems, autothrottle could be life-saving. Taken a step further into full emergency return/autoland capabilities, the technology goes beyond even what large bizjets and airliners currently offer. Especially in terms of emergency return and autoland capabilities, the cabin-class turbine world is presently leading all other segments of general aviation and paving a path for such technologies to trickle upstream and down.
Matthew McDaniel is a Master & Gold Seal CFII, ATP, MEI, AGI, & IGI and Platinum CSIP. In 32 years of flying, he has logged over 20,500 hours total and over 5,700 hours of instruction given. As owner of Progres- sive Aviation Services, LLC (www.progaviation.com), he specializes in Technically Advanced Aircraft and Glass Cockpit instruction since 2001. He’s a Boeing 737-series Captain, holds 8 type ratings, and has flown over 120 aircraft types. Matt has earned the Master CFI designation for 10 consecutive two-year terms. He can be reached at: matt@progaviation.com or 414-339-4990.
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