What characterizes hard-time maintenance?

The characteristic that defines hard-time maintenance is its reliance on predetermined "hard times" for scheduled maintenance. In this approach, maintenance tasks are scheduled based on specific intervals, such as flight hours or calendar days, rather than individual component condition. This methodology is used to ensure that components are regularly inspected and replaced at scheduled intervals, regardless of their current performance or condition. The intention behind this practice is to prevent unexpected failures and enhance overall safety by adhering to a strict maintenance timeline.

Other methods, such as condition-based maintenance, focus on actual component conditions and may involve real-time monitoring to determine the need for service, which differs significantly from the rigid schedule of hard-time maintenance. This approach might lead to variable maintenance practices that are not strictly time-based, whereas hard-time maintenance is structured and predictable based on the established intervals for maintenance actions.