VERO BEACH, Fla. — Piper Aircraft, headquartered in Vero Beach, announced Wednesday morning they will soon offer a general aviation aircraft that will be able to land by itself with just a push of a button.
MORE: Piper Aircraft in Vero Beach gets largest order in company history
Piper say the technology, known as the HALO Safety System, enables their new M660 SLS planes to safely land at the nearest suitable airport if the pilot is incapacitated.
Once engaged, either automatically or by a passenger, the Halo system assumes control of all of the aircraft's systems.
It also communicates with air traffic control facilities regarding the new flight plan and estimated time of landing, according to Piper.
“The aircraft will acquire the best place to land, go to the airport, land, shut down by itself without any interaction from any occupant," said Piper Vice President of Marketing Ron Gunnarson.
.@piperaircraft launching new model with first ever auto land capability. @WPTV pic.twitter.com/GMm1A1fLLL
— Jon Shainman (@JonShainman) October 30, 2019
The technology is able to account for runway size, wind, time, fuel range, glide path, weather conditions and the terrain as it seeks the nearest suitable runway.
After landing, Piper says Halo will activate the braking system to finally stop the plane, even shutting off the engine and providing how to exit the aircraft safely.
Piper says this is the first general aviation aircraft in the world to be certified with this capability.
The company said Wednesday that certification of the M600 SLS is imminent. If you are thinking about making a purchase, Piper says the price is $2.994 million.
About 1,100 people work at Piper. The company has built twice as many planes this year as it did just two years ago.
Watch the promotional video below on how it all works:
