The Blackhawk Group has completed the first installation of Garmin's Autothrottle and Autoland system on a King Air 350 equipped with the G1000 NXi integrated flight deck. This milestone installation, performed at the company's Blackhawk Performance Center at Columbia Regional airport, Missouri, marks a significant advancement in cockpit automation, safety and pilot workload reduction for King Air operators.

Garmin's Autothrottle provides seamless integration with the G1000 NXi panel, automatically managing aircraft speed and engine power from takeoff to landing. By maintaining optimal power settings, the system enhances efficiency while protecting against potential engine exceedances. Autothrottle also automatically engages in overspeed, under speed or engine-out scenarios, offering pilots a critical layer of safety and redundancy in high-workload environments.

Complementing this advancement, Garmin's award-winning Autoland system offers the world's most advanced autonomous emergency landing technology. In the event a pilot becomes incapacitated, Autoland can assume full control of the King Air 350, select the most suitable airport, coordinate with air traffic control, configure the aircraft, land on the runway, apply braking and even shut down the engines, all without human intervention. For both single-pilot and dual-pilot operations, Autoland provides unmatched peace of mind for operators and passengers alike.

“This first installation demonstrates our readiness to deliver these industry-defining technologies to King Air 350 operators,” says Charlie Love, president of The Blackhawk Group's Performance Center network. “We're excited to bring the highest levels of automation and safety ever available in this platform directly to our customers.”

Through its Blackhawk Performance Center facilities in Broomfield, Colorado and Columbia, Missouri, The Blackhawk Group provides expert integration and installation of G1000 NXi upgrades, including Garmin Autothrottle and Autoland systems. With decades of experience advancing the performance and safety of King Air aircraft, Blackhawk is uniquely positioned to support operators seeking to adopt this next-generation technology.