Garmin Autoland saves pilot
 

Amazing stuff
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That same technology is available even in a brand new Cessna 182.

Our 182T is a 2004 model with the Garmin G-1000 digital dash. With it, once we are rotated, just punch in the rate of climb wanted, and the altitude desired, and the destination airport, and it will take you to the point you need to descend and the autopilot alerts to say the pilot needs to take over.

So in 21 years the autopilot has improved. It can actually handle take off as well. It would be interesting to find out what a 2026 182 would cost. I sure wound not want to pay for one.

It would be interesting to find out how the airplane knows the pilot is incapacitated and needs to land the airplane.

Apparently you need to manually activate it, although they are experimenting with systems that monitor the pilot sort of like the Tesla autopilot requires you to be attentive.

Didn't one of Jay Leno's videos feature the autoland system in a Cirrus?

The Cirrus has a big parachute on the airplane. Better than smashing into the ground, but the airplane is likely destroyed. With the autopilot, it lands safely at the airport.

In the Leno video the company rep had Jay push a button and the plane landed. They discussed the system then took off again. The aircraft may have been equipped with the Garmin system.