Your AAD is the last automatic safety device in your system. It fires your reserve if you're incapacitated or in freefall below a critical altitude. Most skydivers trust it completely and think about it rarely — which is reasonable, because modern AADs are highly reliable. But that reliability is conditional on one thing: keeping to the manufacturer's service schedule.
Missing a service window doesn't mean your AAD will definitely fail. But it may mean it's operating on a calibration that has drifted, with a battery that's closer to its end of life than the manufacturer intends, and with a warranty that is no longer valid. That's not a position anyone should be comfortable with.
The three major AADs and their schedules
Cypres (Airtec)
Cypres is the most widely used AAD in the world and has one of the most clearly documented service schedules. Every Cypres unit requires factory service at four, eight, and twelve years from its manufacture date. After twelve years, most units are retired rather than serviced again, depending on the model.
The service must be performed at an authorised Cypres service centre — it cannot be done by a local rigger. The manufacture date is on the cutter unit, not the processing unit, so if you're calculating your next service date make sure you're reading the right label.
Cypres also recommends annual owner inspection: checking that the display shows the correct mode on power-up and that the unit powers off correctly. This is not a substitute for factory service, but it's a useful habit.
Vigil (Advanced Aerospace Designs)
Vigil units require service every ten years, with a second and final service available at twenty years. The service schedule is less granular than Cypres, but the mandatory nature of the window is the same: a Vigil operating past its ten-year service date without factory service is out of specification.
Vigil recommends battery replacement every four years. This can be done by an appropriately trained rigger in some regions, but the service centre is the authoritative source on what's permitted in your area.
MARS (Fluid Wings)
MARS units are less common but growing in use, particularly among European skydivers. MARS requires factory service every five years. The service includes calibration, battery replacement, and inspection of all mechanical components including the cutter.
What your rigger needs to know
Every time your rig goes to the rigger for a repack, they will check your AAD's service status. In many countries, a rigger is not permitted to pack a reserve into a container with an out-of-date AAD. This means an expired service date isn't just an abstract risk — it will ground your rig until the unit is serviced.
Make sure your rigger has the manufacture date, last service date, and model of your AAD. If you've recently bought secondhand gear, verify these details yourself rather than relying on what the seller told you. The manufacture date is on the unit; the service history may be in paperwork that came with the rig or held at the service centre.
Tracking it in your logbook
The simplest approach is to record your AAD's manufacture date and each service date in your gear list, alongside your rig and canopies. In Jump Logs, you can add notes to each gear item — use this to store the manufacture date, model, and last service date so the information is always in one place.
Set a reminder for 60 days before your next service window. Booking service at an authorised centre often takes several weeks, and having your rig offline during a busy jump season is a frustrating outcome of something entirely predictable.
Cutters and their lifespan
AAD cutters are single-use pyrotechnic devices. If your AAD has fired — in a skydiving incident or in a test activation — the cutter must be replaced before the unit is used again. This is non-negotiable and non-circumventable.
Some AADs also have a cutter replacement schedule independent of the main service schedule. Cypres, for example, recommends cutter replacement at specific intervals even if the unit hasn't fired. Check the current manufacturer documentation for your specific model and year of manufacture, as schedules have changed across generations.