Honda Aircraft has finished certification flight testing for the Garmin Autoland system it now offers on its HondaJet HA-420 Elite II.
The testing was completed as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) type inspection authorization (TIA) for the Elite II. Honda expects the system will be certificated “in the coming months” but says the US government’s ongoing shutdown could impact the schedule.
“The FAA’s TIA signifies that the aircraft and its systems meet all design and safety requirements and are ready for final evaluation by FAA test pilots,” Honda says.
“The successful completion of these flight tests paves the way for full certification and future deployment of the system.”
The Garmin Autoland system can be activated in case of emergency. It autonomously descends and lands the aircraft at a suitable airport, while the system also transmits a distress signal to air traffic control.
Honda says its HA-420 stands to be the first twin-turbine very-light-jet equipped with the system.
“Emergency Autoland was one of the first programmes we announced when I assumed leadership of Honda Aircraft and I’m incredibly proud of our engineers for their commitment to realise this capability for our customers,” says Honda Aircraft chief executive Hideto Yamasaki.
Honda is also equipping its in-development HondaJet Echelon with the Garmin Autoland capability.
