Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle certified for King Air 300/350 

Garmin has gained FAA approval for retrofit installations of its Autoland and Autothrottle systems into certain Beechcraft King Air turboprops equipped with the G1000 NXi avionics suite. The move brings the company’s autonomous safety technology to the workhorse twin-turboprop segment, expanding availability from smaller piston and turbine aircraft. 

The certification includes Autoland and Autothrottle for select King Air 350 models, while Autothrottle is approved immediately for certain King Air 300s, with Autoland certification for that series expected later. The King Air 350 is now the largest aircraft approved to use Autoland, which has been certified in 10 other aircraft types to date. The development marks a major step in Garmin’s strategy to scale its Autonomi suite of safety technologies into more complex and higher-weight categories. 

“Nearly 1,000 King Air operators now enjoy the capabilities that the G1000 upgrade has provided them. This announcement adds a direct pathway to Autothrottle and Autoland equipage for many of those aircraft,” said Carl Wolf, Vice President Aviation Sales, Marketing, Programs & Support at Garmin. “It’s just the beginning.” 

Autothrottle gives the King Air automated power management from takeoff to landing. The system adjusts throttle settings according to climb, cruise, and descent profiles, and includes built-in protections against engine overtemperature and overtorque. It can also engage automatically to prevent overspeed or underspeed conditions, and in the event of an engine failure it configures the power levers to stabilize the aircraft’s performance and prevent loss of control. For crews flying in busy airspace, Autothrottle takes over a critical task, reducing workload while maintaining efficiency and engine health. 

Autoland, meanwhile, is designed to take complete control of the aircraft and land it in the event the crew cannot continue. Once activated—either by an emergency button or automatically—the system selects the most suitable runway based on weather, runway length, fuel, and terrain. It then communicates directly with air traffic control, flies an approach, lands, applies brakes, and shuts down the engines. The technology is aimed at adding redundancy to two-pilot operations and providing a safety net for single-pilot flights, particularly in medical emergencies. 

During an activation, the system presents clear messages on cockpit displays so that passengers understand what is happening. Information such as destination airport, estimated time enroute, and distance remaining is shown in plain language. Audio announcements explain each step, reducing confusion and offering reassurance. Passengers can also use prompts on the displays to communicate with controllers if needed. 

In addition to Autoland and Autothrottle, Garmin is rolling out updates to the G1000 NXi flight deck in the King Air. Enhancements include expanded Synthetic Vision features such as 3D views of taxiways and airport structures, a Runway Occupancy Awareness tool that uses ADS-B to warn of possible incursions, and new stability protection features for single-engine scenarios. The GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar, already available in other platforms, is also now integrated, providing automated radar tilt and gain adjustments along with turbulence and hail prediction. 

Retrofit installations of Autoland and Autothrottle are available through Garmin-authorized dealers for eligible King Air aircraft. 

Garmin first introduced Autoland in 2019 as part of the Autonomi suite of safety features. The system was designed as a last line of defense if a pilot became incapacitated, capable of navigating to a suitable runway and performing a complete automated landing without human input. 

In 2020, the FAA certified Autoland in the Piper M600/SLS, making it the world’s first fully approved emergency autoland system for general aviation. It was quickly added to the Cirrus Vision Jet SF50 and Daher TBM 940, giving pilots of high-performance turbine aircraft access to the capability. 

That same year, Autoland received the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy for its potential to save lives and transform aviation safety. Since then, Garmin has steadily expanded the technology into additional platforms, including the Safe Return Autoland system in the Cirrus SR22 G7+ piston single in the spring of 2025.  

With the King Air 350 now approved, Autoland appears to be making the leap from niche applications to a mainstay of business aviation. The post Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle certified for King Air 300/350  appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source