Epic Aircraft, the manufacturer of high-performance, single-engine turboprops, announced Wednesday that the FAA has certified Garmin Autoland for the E1000 AX.
Autoland is designed to make flying safer in the event the pilot becomes incapacitated.
One of the features of Autoland is that it does not have to be accessed from the cockpit, which can be a confusing place for non-pilots who don’t know one instrument from another or how to read them.
“Only the E1000 AX offers multiple Autoland button locations throughout the cabin, placing this potentially lifesaving technology within easy reach of passengers, providing them great peace of mind,” said Doug King, CEO of Epic Aircraft, in a news release.
Epic, based in Bend, Oregon, designs and builds all-composite, single-engine turboprop aircraft. The E1000 AX, the company’s newest model, received FAA type certification in 2025.
Autoland in Action
Garmin Autoland can be activated with the push of a dedicated button. The system will also engage automatically if it determines the pilot is incapacitated.
Once activated, the system evaluates nearby suitable airports for landing, factoring in distance to the field, runway length, fuel range, terrain, and weather, then selects the most suitable runway to land on. Autoland flies the aircraft to the selected runway while automatically communicating its intentions to passengers and air traffic control (ATC).
Upon reaching the airport, Autoland lands the aircraft and shuts down the engine, bringing it to a safe and complete stop without pilot input.
Autoland is fully integrated with the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite, working in concert with Garmin Autothrottle, which is also a feature on the E1000 AX. Autothrottle manages engine power throughout the flight to keep the aircraft on speed.
