Garmin announced today that it had achieved FAA certification to install Garmin Autoland and Garmin Autothrotle to the retrofit market, beginning with the G1000 NXi-equipped King Air 200 series aircraft, followed by select King Air 300 series aircraft.
This year is the 50th anniversary of the King Air 200 and Garmin’s latest technology is now available to enhance the safety of this esteemed aircraft. This latest certification is the first time Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle have been offered as a retrofit solution. This is also the first certification for the G1000 NXi. The full integration of the Autothrottle will reduce crew workload in the cockpit by managing the speed and power of the aircraft and providing engine protection against potential engine exceedances. In an emergency, when the crew is unable to perform their duties, the Garmin Autoland will take control and land the aircraft without human intervention.
“Bringing Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle to the Beechcraft King Air, and for the first time to the aftermarket, is a tremendous step toward transforming the general and business aviation fleet with safety-enhancing autonomous technologies,” said Phil Straub, Garmin Executive VP and Managing Director of Aviation. “The G1000 King Air retrofit program was launched in 2007, initially on the King Air C90, with now over 800 G1000 retrofits in the King Air fleet. We are pleased to provide these operators an upgrade path to Autoland and Autothrottle, demonstrating our deep commitment to developing and continually supporting G1000 and our customers that have trusted us with this investment in their aircraft.”
Autothrottle
The Autothrottle retrofit solution provides extensive safety features to the King Air cockpit. It is fully integrated with the G1000 NXi system and provides automatic control of the engine power levers from takeoff to landing. The Autothrottle keeps the power levels in the right power setting and removes the risk of threat from a potential throttle rollback. The power settings are based on manufacturer or user-configurable climb, cruise and descent schedules, including ITT limits. The Garmin Autothrottle will provide ITT and torque protection by reducing the power when the system detects potential overtorque or overtemperature conditions.
The Garmin Autothrottle system will automatically activate when there is an aircraft overspeed or underspeed situation. It will factor in account flap and gear positions and provide additional peace of mind for pilots operating aircraft. If the Autothrottle detects engine failure, it automatically sets the power lever on the failed side to a fixed position and will adjust the operative throttle lever in order to maintain the chosen airspeed reference.
Autoland
The Garmin Autoland provides pilots with an enhanced level of safety, providing more protection for everyone on board. The Autoland system determines the optimal airport and runway while accounting for weather, fuel on board, runway surface and length, obstacles and terrain. Autoland is activated with the push of a button located in the back of the center pedestal for easy access. The Autoland system will automatically activate if the system determines it is necessary.
The system uses an array of information to determine a flight path and will automatically communicate with the air traffic control, advising controllers and nearby pilots of its intent and location. The system provides visual and verbal communication so passengers have all the information. Flight displays show the location of the plane on a map, as well as the destination airport, estimated time en route, distance to the airport and fuel remaining. The aircraft heading, altitude and airspeed are displayed in an easy-to-read and understandable format so passengers can communicate with ATC if needed. The system can be deactivated at any time with another button press.
When the Autoland system is activated, it controls the speed and engine power so the aircraft can climb, descend or maintain altitude. If the temperatures warrant it, Autoland will turn on anti-ice and deice systems. The system will initiate a controlled descent on approach to the airport. If needed, the system can also initiate a standard holding procedure. The engine will shut down automatically so occupants can safely leave the aircraft.
New G1000 NXi features
The G1000 NXi was also hit with a few upgrades. Now, King Air owners can enjoy additional features like Synthetic Vision Technology with an all-new 3D exocentric view of the SafeTaxi airport environment. The SVT will also display 3D building footprints like hangars, terminals, towers, aprons, signs, markings and taxiways. These features help to increase situational awareness and reduce runway incursions by providing guidance while taxiing. The updates to SVT also improve topographical clarity, sharpen water and terrain boundaries, improve obstacle and powerline displays, and enhance runway and airport sign depictions.
The Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle features are expected to be available in the third quarter of 2023 for retrofit installations through a Garmin authorized dealer network for the King Air 200 G1000 NXi installations. The systems are expected to be available for King Air 300 series aircraft in 2024. Garmin Autoland is certified on the G3000-equipped Piper M600 SLS, Daher TBM 940/960 models and the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. The future certification was announced for the G3000-equipped Beechcraft Denali and HondaJet Elite II aircraft.
Contact
Name: Haley Davoren
, Digital Content Manager
Company: GlobalAir.com
Website: https://globalair.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 502-456-3934
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