system
Great video.
I regret the use of the phrase “layers of autonomy,” but Garmin’s intent is made quite clear in the video.
Brave. New. World.
Great video.
I regret the use of the phrase “layers of autonomy,” but Garmin’s intent is made quite clear in the video.
Brave. New. World.
Seems this should be easy to incorporate on any aircraft with an autopilot. Sure, items such as throttles and brakes may not be controlled but sure seems that the rest could. Since this is a pilot incapacitation event, it would still alleviate a non-pilot from flight controls and better the chances of a positive outcome…
Even without auto throttle this could be very useful in case of pilot incapacitation. Setting power is straight forward that any passenger can do. The flight controls is where things can get complicated.
I was SO buoyed watching the video, Leo. With us “old geezers” keeling over in such large numbers daily, spending all this $$ to ensure that the pax get back on terra firma safely is likely worth the investment. A great investment for my $50K 172. So Larry never said how the “system” detects that the pilot is incapacitated. Does he have to wear a head position sensor or otherwise wire him/her up?
Here we go again. Developing Aeronautical Sociotechnical issues, adding expensive complex matter and for the most part inapplicable.
Most accidents are caused by human error. Solution; eliminate the human from the system.Airlines have reduced (but not eliminated) the human factor from accidents by training their pilots to levels we cannot achieve in general aviation. While there will always be aircraft people hand-fly for fun, for personal transportation autonomous aircraft are the future.
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AOPA’s T. Haines: “ But just as briefed, the airplane “decrabbed” from the 10-knot left crosswind and soon plunked us down just left of center on Runway 18 at New Century AirCenter in Olathe, Kansas, and then quickly tracked us back to the centerline. A few seconds later we rolled to a stop. I looked left at Eric Sargent, Garmin flight test pilot, who smiled broadly from the left seat of the Piper M600. “What do you think?” he asked. “Stunned,” I said. “That’s pretty amazing.” And such was my introduction to Garmin’s new autoland system, a first in general aviation.”
Why am I skeptical?
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Wait! Is there an ODA in the equation?
Ego, mostly? Hmm, I’ll google this one.
Or…
Cirrus could just eliminate the flight controls, thus creating a tamper-resistant airplane. 
Now that’s thought provoking. Who would have thought way back when?
Leo … Larry Anglisano emailed me and answered my question. He said, “the system assumes you’ve checked out if you don’t interact with it as you generally do with the G3000 through CAS messaging.” But you bring up a good point … Garmin could design a system which deciphers your mental state and capabilities and IF it decides you’re a moron who shouldn’t be flying a Piper M600 or maybe you’re just not on your game that day, it could take the airplane away from you much like a “Captain” might. I still wonder if Boeing’s Dennis Muilenburg knows about this latest offering from Garmin … perhaps – with a little ODA oversight – such a system could be coupled to the B737Max8 to get it back into the air sooner ?
THAT idea then begs the next. If the airplane is smarter than the pilot, why do we need the FAA. ANYONE could just go buy an M600 and fly it without a medical because – well – the airplane is smarter than the pilot.
It’s a brave new world out there … someone already said that. Insofar as you are concerned, Leo … I think you’re safe …
By definition, “autonomy” is complete control. Anything less is an oxymoronic pretender.
… sucking up batt, no gear or flap extension, maybe only lateral guidance, descending at 240KIAS, no round out? Fore!!!.
I think Garmin is stepping into the same territory as Boeing’s MCAS; they have not yet figured out the failure modes that can happen because of maintenance, wear, and/or circumstance.
The first time this system “lands” a plane into a bridge that was not in it’s database or mistakenly bleeds off the cabin pressure, or…
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Orders of magnitude more potential accidents are avoided by human intelligence and never show up in accident reports.
“You already were screwed, BEFORE you pushed the button”
You nailed it.
It begs the question for installing the button.
Yup. How would the presence of a human pilot embue the aircraft with better glide capabilities than it would have with a machine at the helm? If anything, the machine would be more able to extract every bit of available performance.
FAR 91.119 a is a fascinating piece of work…