When you stop and think about it, autoland in GA was inevitable. We’ve had the technology for decades, so it was merely a matter of the practical application of that technology getting small enough in size and cost to find its way into our realm. Of course, that’s not to diminish the required massive engineering effort and investment that needed a willing company like Garmin to undertake.
But, let’s be realistic. How useful will emergency autoland be? Maybe
I sound like the whole-airplane parachute system’s early detractors, while time has shown that system does occasionally save lives. But Garmin’s initial implementation of autoland is intended to save the day for an incapacitated pilot. Take a look through NTSB accident statistics and you’ll find that pilot incapacitation as a causal factor happens but is not common. It’s well below things like VFR into IMC, fuel exhaustion, and even engine failure.
