What is autoland capability and under what conditions is it typically certified on a narrowbody?

• A. Autoland is a feature that reduces taxi time after landing; certified everywhere.
• B. Autoland allows automated landing with minimal pilot input; certified for specific aircraft/airport/meteorological conditions and with appropriate sensors and redundancy.
• C. Autoland is used for takeoff only; only in military operations.
• D. Autoland automatically handles fuel management in flight; certified for any weather.

Answer: (B)

Autoland is the system that allows an airplane to perform an automated landing with minimal pilot input, using the airplane’s autoland and flight-control/navigation systems. It is not a universal capability; it’s certified for specific aircraft models, for particular runways and airports that have compatible instrumentation (like CAT II/III ILS or equivalent), and for defined meteorological conditions. It also relies on redundancy and proper sensors and systems (multiple autopilot channels, flight-control computers, radio altimeters, ILS receivers, etc.) to ensure a safe landing.

This is why the best answer says autoland enables an automated landing with minimal input and is certified only for certain aircraft, airports, and weather conditions, with the necessary sensors and redundancy.