We Are Captivated By This Piston Aircraft That Can Land Itself

Cirrus has announced the launch of the new SR series G7+, the first piston-single aircraft to be equipped with Garmin’s Safe Return Emergency Autoland system.

For use in emergency situations such as pilot incapacitation, the Collier Award-winning system will assume control of the in-flight aircraft at the touch of a button, transmit emergency alerts to air traffic control, navigate to the nearest suitable airport, and land autonomously, all the while issuing instructions and status updates to passengers via the aircraft’s cockpit data screens. The system will then bring the aircraft to a stop on the runway center line, shut down the engine, and instruct occupants when it is safe to exit.

In instances where the pilot is the lone occupant, Safe Return will passively monitor their flight patterns, and if it detects an erratic or dangerous operation, it will first query the pilot before assuming control and landing the airplane. If a pilot regains the ability to safely aviate, they can disengage the system at any point.

Safe Return is now standard equipment on all new-build Cirrus SR Series G7+ airplanes, part of an upgrade suite that also includes automatic database updates powered by Cirrus IQ Pro, runway occupancy awareness, and smart pitot heat.

Autoland was first approved for use by the FAA in the Piper M600 SLS turboprop single in 2020, followed by the Daher TBM 940 (since proceeded by the TBM 960), Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet, and Beechcraft King Air 200 and 300-series turboprop twins.

Cirrus brings the technology to an “entry-level” piston aircraft for the first time, exposing a wider set of pilots and passengers to this technology.

“As the largest personal aircraft manufacturer in the world, delivering approximately 600 SR-series aircraft per year, the addition of Safe Return Emergency Autoland on a single-engine piston brings technology only available on larger turbine and turboprop aircraft to a greater number of pilots, spouses, and their passengers for added peace of mind,” said Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen. “The SR Series G7+ launch, along with our expanding ecosystem and Cirrus IQ platform, underscores our commitment to safety and relentless pursuit of innovation.”