Private Air New York

www.privateairny.com Private Air | Spring 2021 29 AVIATION T he flight has been uneventful thus far. He children are quietly napping while you both catch up on email via in-flight satellite Internet access. Up front, the affable pilot provided by the charter service had been deviating around menacing, dark cloud banks to keep the ride as smooth as possible. Just an hour ago, the pilot invited the children to join him as he conducted a pre-flight walkaround of the aircraft, a Daher TBM 940. He mentioned that he began his aviation career in the military, then "retired" as one of the major airlines before starting a new career as a corporate pilot. It's reassuring to have such an experienced pilot in command of today's flight. With a glance toward the cockpit, it appears that the pilot is now opting to fly into the dead center of the next dark cumulonimbus cloud bank. A cursory glance at the pilot leads to an odd thought. Has he fallen asleep? No wonder he isn't deviating as he had before. After exchanging concerned looks with each other, you both move forward through the cabin to wake up the pilot. As you get closer, mild concern turns to adrenaline-inducing shock. e pilot has a blue pallor and is non-responsive. He is not asleep; he is deceased. With no pilot experience between you, what do you do next? You've seen movies in which passengers in similar predicaments grab the radio calling "Mayday! Mayday!," but how does this radio operate? As the plane enters the cloud bank, you bump your head on the ceiling as the plan violently tosses and turns. You accept the fact that you are going to need a miracle to come out alive. Garmin's "Miracle" Garmin, a company well-known for products designed for aviation, marine, outdoor, automotive, and sports, introduced something of an aviation miracle in 2020. Named Autoland, the scenario the family found themselves in can change from probable catastrophe to a near non-event. Same Scenario, Different Outcome In the aforementioned hypothetical example, a Garmin Autoland-capable flight would have saved the day. As part of the pilot's safety briefing, the pilot would have added, "is aircraft features an Autoland capability. In the unlikely event that I am incapacitated during the flight, you need only press this emergency button. e aircraft will go into Autoland mode which entails contacting air traffic control for you, picking the nearest safe airport (emphasis on the word "safe") and then the plane will land itself. All the while, the cockpit screen and Autoland voice will tell you what is happening in real-time. In such a situation, I may be beyond saving, but you will have nearly zero risks whatsoever and a mighty interesting story to tell as well." Here is how Garmin Autoland works in greater detail: after a passenger presses the Autoland button that was highlighted during the safety briefing, a calm Autoland voice will enunciate over the aircraft's speakers, "Emergency Autoland activated. e Emergency Autoland system is controlling the aircraft and will land at the safest, nearby airport". In deciding upon the airport to land at, Autoland takes under consideration multiple factors including fuel range, terrain, weather, runway length, and time.

• Cover