Introducing Safe Return Emergency Autoland
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN points to it as a real example of certified emergency autoland, used in debates about autonomy and pilotless aircraft.
What it is
Cirrus introduces Safe Return, an emergency autoland system for its Vision Jet. A passenger presses a single button and the aircraft squawks emergency, reroutes and lands itself.
Recommended by 1 HN commenters across 1 different months, 2019 to 2024.
What Hacker News said
Recommends cyberferret · 2019-10 · on “Piper Announces First GA Aircraft with Autoland Capability”
Maybe a coincidence, but Cirrus Aircraft announced their SafeReturn Emergency Autoland on their Vision Jet series today as well [0]. Looks pretty impressive. A passenger can just press one button on the roof behind the pilot, and the aircraft will send a distress signal, re-route and autoland the aircraft at the nearest airport (including terrain and weather avoidance) and also convert all screens on board to inform the passengers how to use the radio for comms etc. [0] [this video]
Cites toomuchtodo · 2023-12 · on “A cargo plane flew 50 miles with no pilot onboard using a semi-automated system”
Also install in commercial passenger aircraft and enable to be pilot of last resort if onboard human pilots become incapacitated and a cryptographically verified command is sent to the aircraft (airline? ATC? TBD who should have this authority). Very similar to Cirrus Safe Return Autoland, but with additional safeguards (remote command from an approved authority) vs passenger command. > Once activated by the touch of a button, Safe Return assumes control of the aircraft and transforms the Vision Jet into an autonomous vehicle that navigates to the nearest suitable airport for landing, communicates with air traffic control, lands and brings the aircraft safely to a complete stop, allowing pas
Cites Animats · 2024-10 · on “US probes Tesla's Full Self-Driving software after fatal crash”
Ah. Few people realize how dumb aircraft autopilots really are. Even the fanciest ones just follow a series of waypoints. There is one exception - Garmin Safe Return. That's strictly an emergency system. If it activates, the plane is squawking emergency to ATC and and demanding that airspace and a runway be cleared for it.[1] This has been available since 2019 and does not seem to have yet been activated in an emergency. [1] [this video]