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An iPad app can land your plane if the engine quits
If the engine quits in a small plane, it's not the end of the world -- just glide to the nearest airport and make a dead-stick landing. Simple, right? Sure, if the pilot makes perfect, lightning-quick decisions. Since we're only human, there's now an iPad app called Xavion that can connect with a small-plane's autopilot, find the nearest airport and, if possible, fly you to the runway's threshold by itself. It'll even tell you if you can't make it, so that you can find a nearby farmer's field instead. According to Popular Science, the autopilot update will arrive in a few weeks for the app, which currently offers manual pilot assistance in an emergency (see the video below).
