In aviation maintenance, to life a part means to assign it a strict operational limit or to remove it from service because it has reached that limit. Aviation components are often life-limited by flight hours, pressurization cycles, or calendar months. Once a part is fully lifed, it must be scrapped or overhauled, regardless of its visual condition, to prevent fatigue failures.
Heard on the job
We've to pull the main landing gear actuators next week because they're about to life out.
Insider tip
Mechanics usually say a part is "lifed" or "lifed out" when it hits its hard limit.
Also heard as
- life out
- time out