Auto Flight for Rotorcraft

Garmin's new autopilot for the AStar smoothes out the rough edges.

Julie Boatman

Wednesday, July 05, 2023 at 04:11 PM ET

Verified

Flying the AS350 with the GFC 600H over the Oregon countryside. [Credit: Stephen Yeates]

Key Takeaways:

The Garmin GFC 600H autopilot significantly simplifies helicopter flight, making it manageable even for fixed-wing pilots with minimal rotorcraft experience, by providing substantial assistance with control and stability.
Integrated with Garmin's TXi flight display systems, it offers advanced features like enhanced navigation, crucial terrain/obstacle awareness, and Envelope Stability Protection (H-ESP) to maintain safe flight parameters.
The system dramatically reduces pilot workload across all flight phases, from hovering to coupled approaches, thereby enhancing safety and making helicopter operations more accessible, especially in challenging conditions.

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As we’re walking out to the 1996 Eurocopter AS350 B2 perched on the pad outside Garmin AT’s offices in Salem, Oregon, I naturally head for the right seat. Because to my fixed-wing pilot brain, that’s where the observer sits, the copilot. And as one with only a handful of hours in rotorcraft in total, that’s what I guess I had expected to do on this demo flight—my introduction to Garmin’s GFC 600H for the AStar.

So when Garmin flight test engineer—and experienced rotorcraft instructor—Jack Loflin gestures me into the right seat, I don’t hesitate. Then I do.