By Skies Magazine | August 8, 2023 Estimated reading time 3 minutes, 4 seconds.
Piper Aircraft has received Transport Canada approval for its M600/SLS HALO Safety System, which incorporates a number of autonomous safety features as well as technologies to improve situational awareness.
The Piper M600/SLS was the first general aviation aircraft to receive U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification with Garmin’s Autoland system, which occurred in May 2020. During this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh event in late July, Piper announced that it had achieved Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency approval for its M600/SLS HALO system, and noted that “subsequent international validations will continue.”
Now, Transport Canada is the latest aviation authority to grant its approval.
Piper’s vice president of sales, marketing, and customer support, Ron Gunnarson, noted that HALO certification in Canada is not only a significant achievement for the company, but for its Canadian dealer, Aviation Unlimited, and, of course, M600 owners.
For existing M600/SLS aircraft in Canada, Piper has introduced a kit containing key HALO components and a new software load for the Autoland system. Garmin Autoland is designed to autonomously guide and land the aircraft safely at the nearest suitable airport in cases where the pilot becomes incapacitated.
In addition to this key safety feature, the Garmin G3000 avionics suite integrated into the M600/SLS offers an array of advanced safety technologies, including auto-throttle, Emergency Descent Mode, Electronic Stability and Protection, SurfaceWatch, SafeTaxi, and Flight Stream 510.
Beyond its safety-focused avionics suite, the M600/SLS is a six-seat aircraft powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A 600-shaft-horsepower engine. The aircraft has a maximum cruise speed of 274 KTAS (507 kilometers per hour), a maximum range of 1,658 nautical miles (2,748 km), and a standard useful load of 2,400 pounds (1,089 kilograms).
“It is our mission to bring the latest and greatest technology in our aircraft to customers worldwide,” concluded Gunnarson.
