Watch: We Fly Garmin Autoland King Air 200

Garmin pursues a supplemental type certificate for its emergency landing system on the twin turboprop

FLYING Staff

Monday, July 31, 2023 at 05:17 PM ET

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Garmin’s Autoland should be available later this year on the Beechcraft King Air 200. [Credit: Stephen Yeates]

Key Takeaways:

Garmin is nearing certification for a new retrofit kit that brings its Autoland emergency landing system to certain Beechcraft King Air 200 aircraft.
This marks Garmin's first direct aftermarket Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for Autoland, initially for King Air 200s equipped with the G1000 NXi, with King Air 300s to follow.
The system, which includes an associated autothrottle, was successfully demonstrated in a test flight, performing a creditable landing.

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Garmin announced in mid July that certification is “imminent” on a new retrofit kit for its Autoland emergency landing system on certain Beechcraft King Air 200s. While not technically the first retrofit package for Autoland—that honor goes to the upgrade offered by Daher for certain previously delivered 940s—it marks the first supplemental type certificate provided by Garmin directly to the aftermarket.

Initial approvals will be for King Air 200s that have the Garmin G1000 NXi integrated flight deck STC. After approval on the 200 series is secured, Garmin will pursue the nod on similarly equipped King Air 300s as well.

FLYING’s editor-in-chief Julie Boatman had a chance to fly with the new system—including the associated autothrottle in Garmin’s test bed King Air 200 with demonstration pilot Jessica Koss. Watch as the system goes through its activation sequence and performs a creditable landing back at Appleton International Airport (KATW) in Wisconsin.