Cypres
Encyclopedia
- This page is about the Automatic Activation Device for parachutes. For the tree family, see CupressaceaeCupressaceaeThe Cupressaceae or cypress family is a conifer family with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27 to 30 genera , which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130-140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioecious or dioecious trees and shrubs from 1-116 m tall...
. For the Mediterranean islandIslandAn island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
, see CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. For the law doctrine, see Cy-près doctrine.
CYPRES is an acronym for Cybernetic Parachute Release System. It refers to a specific make and model of an automatic activation device
Automatic activation device
Automatic Activation Device in skydiving terminology refers to an electronic-pyrotechnic or mechanical device that automatically opens the main or reserve parachute container at a preset altitude or after a preset time....
(AAD), a device that automatically opens a parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
(typically as a reserve system for a skydiver) under certain circumstances. A CYPRES will usually open at a preset altitude if the rate of descent is over a certain threshold. The manufacturer of the CYPRES is Airtec.
The CYPRES works by using a cutter to cut the reserve container closing loop. A spring-loaded pilot chute
Pilot chute
A pilot chute is a small auxiliary parachute used to deploy the main or reserve parachute. The pilot chute is connected to the deployment bag containing the parachute by a bridle. On modern skydiving rigs three types of pilot chutes can be found:...
then leaves the container and breaks through the skydiver's slipstream to begin reserve deployment.
The CYPRES comes in four different models: Expert, Student, Tandem and Speed. The basic operation of the units is the same; only the activation parameters are different, having been optimized for different types of skydiving.