The short answer
An Airworthiness Directive is a mandatory FAA regulation fixing an unsafe condition. One-time ADs are satisfied once; recurring ADs repeat on an interval and behave like inspections. To stay on top of them, find every AD that applies to your specific airframe, engine, prop, and appliances, record how and when each was complied with, and track the next-due point for the recurring ones.
What an AD is, and why it's mandatory
Airworthiness Directives are how the FAA addresses unsafe conditions once they're discovered in a type design. A few things make them different from ordinary maintenance:
- They are legally enforceable; compliance is not optional.
- They can apply to the airframe, the engine, the propeller, or installed appliances, each with its own applicability by make and model.
- Applicability and sign-off are determined by your mechanic against the official FAA AD record.
One-time vs recurring ADs
The recurring ones are where owners get caught:
- One-time AD: a single corrective action satisfies it permanently.
- Recurring AD: must be repeated at a set interval in hours or calendar time, coming due over and over.
- Because recurring ADs repeat quietly in the background, they're easy to forget between annuals, so they need to live in a schedule.
How to track Airworthiness Directives
- 1
Build your applicable AD list.
Identify which ADs apply to your specific airframe, engine, prop, and appliances by make and model.
- 2
Record compliance for each.
Capture the method, date, and aircraft hours at which each AD was complied with.
- 3
Compute next-due for recurring ADs.
Apply the interval to the last compliance point to find the next deadline.
- 4
Review the horizon.
Check upcoming recurring ADs regularly so none slip past due.
Note: AD applicability and compliance are ultimately determined against the official FAA AD record and your aircraft's configuration with your mechanic. This page is general guidance, not a compliance determination.
How Maggneto handles it
Maggneto tracks the ADs that apply to your aircraft from FAA data, and lets you track recurring ADs as scheduled items against the airframe, engine, and prop. It computes next-due from your logged hours and surfaces each one with neutral, color-coded status (up to date, due soon, or overdue) alongside the rest of your maintenance. The recurring AD that used to hide between annuals is now in front of you. Automatic alerts for newly issued ADs are coming soon.
Keep every recurring AD in front of you
See how Maggneto's AD Tracking surfaces every recurring Airworthiness Directive alongside your inspections, with next-due dates computed from your actual hours.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Airworthiness Directive (AD)?
An Airworthiness Directive is a legally enforceable regulation issued by the FAA to correct an unsafe condition in an aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance. Compliance is mandatory, and ADs are determined and signed off by your mechanic against the official FAA record.
What's the difference between a one-time and a recurring AD?
A one-time AD is satisfied by a single action; comply once and you're done. A recurring AD must be repeated at a set interval (by hours or calendar time), so it keeps coming due again and again, just like an inspection.
How do I track ADs?
Determine which ADs apply to your specific airframe, engine, propeller, and appliances, record when each was complied with, and for recurring ADs calculate the next-due point. Maggneto lets you track recurring ADs as scheduled items so they surface before they come due.
Why do recurring ADs get missed?
Because recurring ADs repeat quietly in the background (sometimes by hours, sometimes by calendar), they're easy to overlook between annuals. Tracking each one as a scheduled item with a next-due date keeps it in front of you instead of buried in the logbook.