Founded in 1989 in Lenexa, Kansas (USA), Garmin has grown over the last 31 years to become a preeminent maker of avionics. Company founders Gary Burrell and Min H. Kao first product was an aircraft GPS receiver. The company later expanded its product line to include transceivers, transponders, and integrated avionics systems combining flight instruments, engine instrumentation, and avionics in one package such as the G1000, and its subsequent versions.

Today, Garmin avionics can be found in general aviation and business aircraft all over the world. By combing traditional stand-alone FMS systems with the widely used G1000 system in light airplanes and the G3000 & G5000 systems (found in high performance turboprops and business jets), pilot situational awareness and safety is greatly enhanced. This improvement has contributed greatly to a reduction in restricted airspace encroachment, reduction of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents, and increased traffic awareness.

In perhaps its most interesting and potentially lifesaving product, Garmin has introduced, Garmin Autoland. This new system is designed, in the event of pilot incapacitation, to take complete control of the aircraft and bring it to successful landing on a nearby runway. This is initiated by a non-crew passenger simply pressing a button, or automatically in the event of a solo flight and the system sensing pilot incapacitation. Upon activation, the Garmin Autoland system will alert ATC via the emergency transponder code, proceed to a divert airport, configure the airplane, execute a GPS approach, land and track the runway centerline, brake to a stop, and shut down the engine. Autoland will also tune the airplane radios to broadcast intentions on approach control and tower frequencies, while continuously advising passengers of aircraft position and time remaining to touchdown.

In development since 2011, Autoland was certified by the FAA in May 2020 on the Piper M600 and the Cirrus Vision Jet. Design considerations included areas such as: basic aircraft control; undesirable terrain avoidance; weather avoidance to include TAF and METAR analysis; route and airport selection; and approach and runway selection. Garmin Autoland will ultimately scalable be down to G1000 equipped aircraft, and scalable up to G5000 equipped aircraft.

Thanks to innovations such as Autoland, Garmin continues to be a worldwide leader in avionics development. There can be no doubt, that Autoland, will be a life saver in years to come.  Garmin is accordingly the deserving recipient of the Sir James Martin Award.

1968/69  Lt Cdr Tarver

1969/70  Flt Lt R C Shuster

1971  not awarded

1971/72  Gp Capt J K Mason

1973  not awarded

1973/74  Col W P Schane

1975  not awarded

1975/76  Gp Capt A J Barwood

1976/77  E L Ripley Esq

1977/78  Flt Sgt D J Jones

1978/79  D Johnson Esq

1979/80  Lt Cdr D R Taylor MBE

1980/81  MALM David Bullock G C (posthumously)

1981/82  Geoffrey Harrison Esq

1983  not awarded

1983/84  Clifford Gaskell Esq

1985  not awarded

1985/86  Wg Cdr R McCluskey AFC RAF

1987  not awarded

1987/88  AVM P H Howard

1989  not awarded

1989/90  Lt Cdr Paul Barton RN

1991 - 1992  not awarded

1992/93  John W Chappelow Esq

1994  not awarded

1994/95  Flt Lt Kevin A Brooks

1995/96  Lt Cdr Paul Haywood RN

1997  not awarded

1997/98  Major J Norman Ryan MC

1998/99  Dr Christopher Brooks, OMM OstJ CD MBChB DavMed FFOM

1999/2000  Air Accidents Investigation Branch Lockerbie Team

2000/01  CPO Terrence Allison

2001/02 Lt Cdr Clive Rawson RN

2003  not awarded

2003/04  Sqn Ldr Jonathan James Harrison RAF

2004/05 Professor Helen Christine Muir OBE MA PhD CPsychol FRAeS

2005/06  John Freeman

2006/07  Captain John Cox

2008  not awarded

2008/09 Flt Lt Emily Rickards RAF

2009/10  David Cockburn

2010/11  Captain Linc Alexander

2011/12  Maj K E Bryan AAC

2013  not awarded

2013/14  Captain James Cunningham AAC

2014/15  Captain Mark Chesney

2016  The Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Research Project Team

2017  SkyDemon

2018  Dr Donough Wilson

2019  Lt Jonathan Moore RN

2020  814 NAS Survival Equipment Section

2021  Garmin