Flashlights

[DonMuncy]

I have always been a nut about flashlights and carried more in my flight bag than necessary. I had it figured out pretty well until LED technology blossomed.

Now brightness and battery life are not very important, as even cheap lights are quite bright and batteries last a long time.

Now it seems that some of the new ones don't function as well as they should. Just when you need one, the switch doesn't work all the time, or a sharp whack is necessary to get one going.

It doesn't seem to me (a card carrying CB) that one ought to have to spend $40 for one that works well over a long time.

What brand/type does everyone else use; are you happy with your choice; and why.

[Marauder]

I am willing to bet a number of us have a flashlight fetish. The Chinese have been flooding the market with cheap Cree LED flashlights. I have been buying them and sticking them all over the place. Search Amazon for Ultra Fire flashlights. I have been paying $3.50 to $10 which often include batteries.

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[Hank]

I remember being told as a student that we were required to carry a 2 D-cell flashlight when flying at night. Now that I have several good LED lights that run on either 2 AA or 3 AAA, I am wondering if that was in an (outdated) FAR, or if it was an FBO policy, or just what my CFI thought was a good idea?

I taxied to the ramp the night my GE landing light blew enroute, holding my 2AA LED light out the storm window, in April in WV. Worked well, but boy was my hand ever cold!

[M20F]

I have a variety of cheap ones, the old shake to power flashlight, but what I use almost exclusively is:

http://www.surefire.com/illumination/headlamps/minimus.html

Not for the CB but is highly awesome for not just flying but assorted other things. I use it out in the bush hunting and it has been dropped, drowned, crushed, etc. and just keeps on working. The only thing that took me some time to figure out is when not in use reverse the battery. Because it has a twist on it tends to get turned on if it gets knocked around in seat back pocket where I keep it. Now when I need it the battery isn't dead :-)

[M20F]

I remember being told as a student that we were required to carry a 2 D-cell flashlight when flying at night. Now that I have several good LED lights that run on either 2 AA or 3 AAA, I am wondering if that was in an (outdated) FAR, or if it was an FBO policy, or just what my CFI thought was a good idea?

I taxied to the ramp the night my GE landing light blew enroute, holding my 2AA LED light out the storm window, in April in WV. Worked well, but boy was my hand ever cold!

The D cell is a 135 or 121 requirement not part 91, far as I am aware they haven't updated to reflect new lithium batteries but I don't keep up on 135/121 changes. No requirement under part 91 to carry any type of flashlight other than 91.13.

[Jim Peace]

I am willing to bet a number of us have a flashlight fetish.

you mean this?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleshlight

[neilpilot]

Backup to backup flashlights - the free cell phone "flashlight" ap

[M20F-1968]

The Maglights are reliable.  You can put a red lins in then which they can provide, or use a red theatre gel cut into a small circle which can fit into the flashlight.

I have a 2 D cell maglight type flashlight with a push/pull device that changes the light from white to red and another similar light that changes from red/white with the push/pull of the head.  There is another type of LED light that has 

2 on/off buttons, one for red and one for white.  The reliable ones are out there.  Amazon and the pilot shops are a good place to start.

 

John Breda

[chrisk]

I'm a fan of head lamps.  These http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J22D3C?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage periodically go on sale for around $13, including batteries.  I have several around the house.

[MB65E]

StreamLight stylus pro!!! They are usually on the snap on rig. $27 on Amazon.

2 AAA batts. High powered LED, I buy them as gifts. They are awesome in the shop. Usually always have one on hand. Push button switch.

The stupid mag lights always need to twist on, then you pull a dead lamp out of your pocket as it rolled and turned itself on 5hr earlier.

If anyone finds one in New Orleans... it's mine!!!

-matt

[peevee]

I have a smith and wesson something or other, it was the same sold by the online pilot shops, it's red or white. Works OK.

[Hank]

I have a smith and wesson something or other, it was the same sold by the online pilot shops, it's red or white. Works OK.

I found the S&W 2-color LEDs in an industrial supply catalog for half the price of the aviation stores. I have two blue/white and a red/white. There's also a green/white, but that washes out sectionals pretty badly.

[peevee]

I found the S&W 2-color LEDs in an industrial supply catalog for half the price of the aviation stores. I have two blue/white and a red/white. There's also a green/white, but that washes out sectionals pretty badly.

Same story here, think I bought from Amazon but it was a lot less.

[laytonl]

Larry Lights are my favorite. Lee

[rbridges]

I keep a couple of the Home Depot headband flashlights in my bag. Really nice for night time pre flights and oh so sexy. What woman can resist a man with a dork light on his forehead?

[DrBill]

I carry two MAGLITE  flashlights.. One dual AA with red lens and one dual C with white lens.. Never had a failure turning on. The hard part is checking the batteries yearly for age as they never really die.

Bill

[MyNameIsNobody]

Watches and clocks are more fun. Ever seen a Gustavo Becker Westminster mantel clock? Va va VOOM!

Move on my phallic friends.

[MyNameIsNobody]

OK...I love flashlights too. Batteries...now there is the real party spoiler.

[jbs007]

I have about 5 cheapo flashlights floating around my cockpit.  Even with only a 90% success rate that gives me a 99.999% of having a working flashlight at a fraction the cost of a nice one.  One of them is bound to work.

 

Another idea I have is for when I get the time to do some interior work.  I want to make pivoting 12v sockets that plug into the recepticles for the lights on the roof and wire them to never take juice from the battery; only the gen/alt.  There are small rechargeable flashlights that can stick in the 12v receptacle.  They will stay charged with airplane usage and if I loose the gen/alt at night I have cabin lighting that does not drain the battery.  I can also pull it out to help preflight or get bags out of the plane and put it back.

[Marauder]

OK...I love flashlights too. Batteries...now there is the real party spoiler.

For the double AA, you got to check out the new lithiums that are available.

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[DonMuncy]

Chris,

Do you have experience with the lithium AAs. It seems that the prices are all over the place and some are rechargeable and others are not.

Are all lithiums created equal, or how do we tell the difference.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but not too long ago, I decided to buy a batch of rechargeable AAs and save a ton of money. It didn't take me too long to figure out the rechargeables (not lithium) didn't have the same power as non rechargeables and they failed at an alarming rate.

[Marauder]

Chris,

Do you have experience with the lithium AAs. It seems that the prices are all over the place and some are rechargeable and others are not.

Are all lithiums created equal, or how do we tell the difference.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but not too long ago, I decided to buy a batch of rechargeable AAs and save a ton of money. It didn't take me too long to figure out the rechargeables (not lithium) didn't have the same power as non rechargeables and they failed at an alarming rate.

Don -- I started buying Everready AA versions from Costco when they became available. They are a bit pricey but do go on sale occasionally. I am seeing them last around 4 times longer than the Duracell non lithium equivalents. Unlike rechargeables or even the non-lithiums, they hold their power until they decide to die.

My experience has been limited to my Cabela's headlamp and an Apple Bluetooth keyboard.

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[Marauder]

Almost forgot! And my Zulu headsets. They have been in there since last Fall.

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[DonMuncy]

Good to know. Anyone else with experience, chime in.

[Amelia]

For the ultimate in dorkwear, convenient dorkwear, there's this! I painted the outboard two LEDs with red nail polish, and the center one is white. When I need to worry about dark adaptation, I select position one on the three click switch. When I want to bathe a wider area in a brighter pleasant pink, it's the second setting, which illuminates enough for a good after-dark preflight. The watch batteries last years, and both yoke hand and throttle/radio operating hand are available. Looks silly, but who must I impress?