The Autoland system is designed to take control of the aircraft in an emergency and land it autonomously at the nearest suitable airport. This technology is meant to bring additional safety and peace of mind to the cabin for passengers and pilots concerned about possible pilot incapacitation.

• WATCH: We Fly Garmin Autoland King Air 200

“We are thrilled to deliver our first Garmin Autoland upgrade in a King Air B200,” said Dan Edwards, CEO of Elliott Aviation. “Safety is always our top priority, and the Garmin Autoland system represents a groundbreaking advancement in aviation technology. This achievement reflects our team’s expertise and commitment to providing our customers with the latest and most advanced avionics solutions.”

The company previously performed similar upgrades to Daher TBM 940s that had not been equipped with the Autoland system—specialized by Daher as Home Safe—at the factory. The Moline, Illinois, company said the King Air upgrade “underscores Elliott Aviation’s dedication to staying at the forefront of technological advancements within the aviation industry.”

• READ MORE: Elliott Aviation Completes Home Safe Upgrades to TBM 940

Founded in 1936, Elliott Aviation provides a range of aviation services including avionics, maintenance, accessories, paint, interiors, and aircraft sales.

The post Elliott Aviation Delivers First Garmin Autoland Upgrade in King Air B200 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The TBM 940s delivered into the U.S. that qualify have been retrofitted successfully by Elliott Aviation, an aviation services and sales company with locations in Moline, Illinois; Des Moines, Iowa; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Atlanta, Georgia.

Home Safe Now Standard

The certification on the TBM 940 was completed in July 2020, and those aircraft rolling off the production line following that date came factory equipped with Home Safe as standard equipment. At the time, Daher pledged to retrofit 940 models delivered earlier in 2020 as part of the purchase price, with models delivered in 2019 available to upgrade for $85,000.

A total of 29 TBM 940s were delivered with the autoland functionality as standard equipment, but required additional work following certification in order to complete the task. Elliott Aviation  undertook the completions at its base in Moline, Illinois.

“Partnering closely with Daher from the very beginning, the Elliott Aviation team of technicians did a great job of planning and executing the installation program,” said Greg Sahr, Elliott Aviation’s president and CEO. “We knew the timeline was going to be a push, but the joint effort with Daher allowed us to complete the program as scheduled.”

A few 2019 940 models remain for which Home Safe was an upgrade, and that work will be completed later this year, according to Elliott Aviation.

“This retrofit program’s seamless execution resulted from the expertise and capabilities of Elliott Aviation, backed by its close cooperation with Daher—as well as our coordination with TBM distributors and owners,” said Raphael Maitre, vice president of customer support for Daher’s Aircraft Division, in a release.

What Is Home Safe?

Daher integrated Garmin’s Autoland technology into the TBM series beginning with the 940 model, and it continues as a factory standard installation in the new TBM 960, which gained FAA certification in June and EASA approval earlier this year.

Home Safe initiates the following steps:

• Integrates weather and terrain information to select the best airport for landing, taking into account fuel range and runway length. 
• Provides inputs to the aircraft’s flight controls and adjusts engine power settings through the touchdown phase. 
• Simultaneously activates the landing gear brakes and shuts down the engine following touchdown.

The post Elliott Aviation Completes Home Safe Upgrades to TBM 940 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.