Garmin Autoland Named 2020 Finalist for Robert J. Collier Trophy

Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. announced that its ground-breaking Garmin Autoland system was selected as a 2020 Robert J. Collier Trophy finalist by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). For over a century, the Collier Trophy has been the benchmark of aerospace achievement and is awarded annually to recognize “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America.” Part of the Garmin Autonomi family of autonomous safety-enhancing technologies, Autoland is the world’s first certified system of its kind with the ability to activate during an emergency situation to autonomously control and land an aircraft without human intervention1.

In the event of an emergency such as pilot incapacitation, a passenger can activate Autoland to land the aircraft with a simple press of a dedicated button, should the pilot no longer be able to perform their duties as pilot in command. Autoland can also activate automatically if the system detects no pilot interaction. Once activated, the system immediately calculates a flight path to the most suitable airport and runway, while avoiding terrain and adverse weather, initiates a stabilized approach and automatically lands the aircraft.