We have great articles about knives, fire starting, binoculars, camping gear, survival gear.....
but, winter is coming and along with it, pre-flighting in the dark.

I've migrated from my trusty Maglight, which I swore at one time was the best light that could ever be made, to more modern LED super duper lights. I've tried quite a few and found out along the way that you can spend your retirement money on flashlights if you aren't careful and some have features that I like while others don't.

I spent about a hundred bucks on a Surefire light that I thought would be the last one I ever bought. Wrong. It's a great lamp but it has two brightness levels and it cycles between the two each time you turn it off and on. So I can't control how bright it is when I turn it on unless I remember which level it was on when I last turned it off. No big deal but it is aggravating to turn it on in the cockpit only to find myself blinded by the bright mode when I would have preferred the dim.

I then got a twenty dollar light off Amazon that was pretty good but, again, it cycles through different modes each time it is turned on and off. Only this one was worse as one mode was a bright strobe. My co-worker who was flying an ILS into Denver one night wasn't impressed when I switched my light and it came on with a brilliant strobe that damn near blinded him. Turns out it's difficult to fly a precision approach without vision. I've never used that light since. Its other drawback was that the light dissipated quite rapidly and it would not illuminate anything over twenty or thirty feet away.

Then I found Nitecore lights, which have become my flashlights of choice. I bought a NItecore P12 and I love it. It's about $60. It has four brightness levels and comes on with the intensity last used. It has two switches, one for on / off and the other that cycles through the four brightness levels. I leave it in the level most used (3 for me) and it comes back on in that mode when I turn it back on. It can also be set into strobe, SOS, and a long lasting flashing mode used for search and rescue. On the brightest intensity, it easily illuminates objects a couple of hundred feet away. It has a rechargeable battery that lasts a long time. Just don't shine it in anyone's eyes if you want to remain friends. They won't like it.

My most recent purchase, again about $60, was a NItecore headlamp, model HC60. It doesn't have two separate switches like the P12 handheld light so it took me a bit to get used to it. It cycles through five intensity levels and normally comes on with the lowest and the brightness increases with each push of the switch. It can be set to come on with the brightness last used by pushing and holding the switch for a couple of seconds though. LIke the handheld Nitecore, the brightest level easily illuminates objects two hundred feet away and the battery is rechargeable. I really like the headlamp for preflighting the airplane. No more holding a flashlight in my mouth while I check the fuel and oil. I commonly fly early in the morning, taking off at civil twilight, and I have begun wearing it in the airplane as I taxi out and complete my runup. I find it very useful as I glance around the cockpit checking fuel selectors and trim settings. (I fly a C170 and the interior lighting leaves some areas dimly lit)

I like the Nitecore lights. I only have minor complaints, one of which is that they only come in the color black. Guess when I need my light? When it is dark. And the black flashlight is hidden away in a dark pocket in a flight bag somewhere. I found a comment section on their website and wrote to them suggesting they make it in a bright color for easier location in the dark. Not everyone needs flat black to hide their position from the enemy. Most of us just need to find our light in the dark. The Surefire lights at least come in various bright colors, even though I don't like the other features.

So, I'm curious, what's your favorite torch? Are you still using the $3 one from the big chinese import store? Or have you spent hundreds of dollars on something that can burn the paint off of your plane?

Happy Flying,
K

Good topic, kg.

My most useful torch is an older Surefire LED headlamp that uses 123 lithium batteries and is stepless from .5 lumen to 100 lumens. It's the low power settings I wanted...perfect for night flying as it substitutes for panel lighting. Surefire has since discontinued that light and replaced it with a USB rechargeable model. It's brighter, but of no value to me without the 123 lithium batteries.

The 123 lithium batteries have a ten year shelf life, are all but unaffected by temperature, super light, and provide a enormous amount of power. People don't like them because they're expensive, but if you buy them right they're not bad at all. Put a torch and lithium batteries in your kit and five years later when it's -20 degrees, you can pull it out and it'll be as good as the day you put it in there.

The torch I use the most is a Streamlight pen light that runs off a single AAA battery. It gets used the most because it's always in my front pocket. I use that light every single day. I tried the light that uses two AAA batteries, a light that uses one AA battery, and a light that uses one 123 lithium battery, but they were all too big for every day carry. The single AAA model is perfect.

Around the house I'm using a Streamlight Ultra Stinger rechargeable left over from patrol. There are much brighter lights out these days, but it does the job and I'm used to it. It's nice to have a rechargeable light at the house so you don't have to think about battery consumption.

Edit: While rechargeable flashlights are great to have around the house, I think they suck for most purposes. If I have to spend all night searching for something in the woods, a USB recharger isn't going to do me a bit of good. For a flashlight used away from the power grid I still think lithium batteries are the superior choice.

I have and like the Nitecore too. Bought it after reading a lot of reviews of other lights. I always carry a AA backup in the pouch and am considering changing the black lanyard to one that is highly colorful so that I can find it easier.

I would never pay $3 for a flashlight. I have lots of the free ones from Harbor Freight. But it is better to have one reliable, performant one that lots of cheapies.

Blue skies,

Tom

A feature I failed to describe about the Nitecore was the battery options. It takes a single rechargeable battery, an18650, which is twice as long as the CR123... or it can take two CR123 batteries. So I leave home with a fully charged rechargeable battery (which lasts much longer than I would have guessed. I charge it once a month or so with normal use).... but I have a pair of new CR123 batteries in the bag in case I need them. As Hammer noted, they will last a long time new in the box.

Favorite is subjective to purpose, so I have 3 favorites, all LED.
1. Black Diamond Spot, headlamp is essential, especially for older eyes. Battery level, lots of white light, red light for a night cockpit backup.
2. SureFire E1L Outdoorsman. Small, put a lanyard on it, 123 battery.
3. Surefire G2 Nitrolon, Malkoff LED conversion. Seems all of Texas was hockey-taping them to their shotgun barrels for a closet gun, enough endorsement for me. Tried a cheap Chinese LED conversion first, lasted a hour, then spent the money on the Malkoff, no regrets.

Sensible Products DWL-1

This would not work as a cockpit light for night flying because it's too bright but it is ideal while camping. Amazon carries them for about $33. Very bright torch mode; in fact brighter than my 4 cell Maglight with LED bulb and much smaller. This may well be a function of the bulb of course. I do have an LED bulb in the Maglight too and it doubles as a club in the odd situation where you need to beat hell out of something. The DWL-1 has a general illumination mode too which is toggled by the switch between off and the torch. I bought mine at my local welding shop and use it constantly.

I'm somewhat of a flashlight junkie, so much so that every time I go to REI, I look to see if they have one that I think I might want. Here's what I have in the airplane:

Maglite LED 2D, red lens, clamped to the flap handle
Maglite LED 2AA, red lens, velcro'd to the carpet sidewall beside the passenger
S&W Captain LED, velcro'd to the carpet sidewall beside the passenger
Pilot's pen flashlight pen, chained to my kneeboard (spare one in my flight bag), for writing in the dark
Flightlight Mic Light (2), attached to each of the mics of the front seat headsets
RayOVac 2 D, red lens, my original pilot flashlight--still works after almost 45 years
Throwaway LED squeeze light on the airplane's keychain
Lighted kneeboard to see notes, clearances I've written
Clamping LED light for unlighted clip boards
Glovelight LED light that I wear on my right hand--makes it easy to see what I'm reaching for

Of all of those, I think the S&W Captain is the most all around useful. It has 2 light levels of red light and also a bright white light. It uses 3 AA cells. It's a very sturdy, waterproof, compact, excellent light.

However, for in the cockpit use at night, there's nothing quite like the convenience of the Flightlight Mic light. It's lightweight (don't notice it's on the mic boom), and it shines wherever one looks. Theoretically it can be turned off and on and vary the light intensity with one's lips, but frankly I've never developed that skill.

But there's more! In my jeans pocket, I always have a Maglite LED 1AAA. In my survival bag, there's a 2C flashlight. When I have my camping gear with me, there are 3 more lights, 2 small Black Diamond LED lanterns (one is also a flashlight) and a medium size Black Diamond LED lantern. My tent fan also has LED lights.

Flashlights R Good!

Cary

I believe that the most useful light is the one you have on you when you really need one. As such, I always have my Mini Maglite 2AA LED PRO( https://tinyurl.com/ybfdyngx )in it's holster on my belt...and have for the last 25 years or so. Started with the ones with the regular lamp and when the LED's became popular upgraded to the pro (272 lumens).
Like my knife, I never go out with out it. ( Got married with my knife under my tux).
Served me well in 2011 at SNF when the hanger I was in was hit by the tornado and went black. I was the only one with light.
I must still use it several times a day walking into a dark room, or checking in the dark corners of the airplane during preflight.
I have other larger brighter units, but this little light will light up the entire back yard. Who really need more than that for a utility light?
Pete

On a related subject, I recently bought a quantity of EBL (brand) 2800 mAh AA lithium batteries. After bad experiences with the first nicad rechargeable AA's back when I was still hang gliding (nothing like the vario going dead on a 100 mile day) I used nothing by good old throw them away when you're done with them alkaline, usually Duracell.

But, after my various positive recent experiences with the new gen lithium batteries (the plane's EarthX, my various ebikes, and my lawn mower and chain saw) that all give awesome performance, it occurred to me I should give them another shot. I bought these:https://www.amazon.com/EBL-Batteries-2800mAh-Rechargeable-20/dp/B00JB0GNYM and and very pleased with them, they really do the job, goodbye alkaline disposable cells.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the utility of the flashlight app on our smart phones, sure they have their limitations but what the heck, I ALWAYS have mine with me. Several times this year, poking around in caves and abandoned mines, I've used mine. Should have had a flashlight, and did, back in the plane. I use it at least 3 or 4 times a weeks, briefly, but it saves me having to pack a real flash lite around.

The Air Lanterns I bought for camping also continue to amaze, and in a pinch can double as a flashlight of sorts. https://www.amazon.com/MPOWERD-Luci-EMR ... sa-b2c-20&

courierguy wrote:On a related subject, I recently bought a quantity of EBL (brand) 2800 mAh AA lithium batteries. After bad experiences with the first nicad rechargeable AA's back when I was still hang gliding (nothing like the vario going dead on a 100 mile day) I used nothing by good old throw them away when you're done with them alkaline, usually Duracell.

But, after my various positive recent experiences with the new gen lithium batteries (the plane's EarthX, my various ebikes, and my lawn mower and chain saw) that all give awesome performance, it occurred to me I should give them another shot. I bought these:https://www.amazon.com/EBL-Batteries-2800mAh-Rechargeable-20/dp/B00JB0GNYM and and very pleased with them, they really do the job, goodbye alkaline disposable cells.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the utility of the flashlight app on our smart phones, sure they have their limitations but what the heck, I ALWAYS have mine with me. Several times this year, poking around in caves and abandoned mines, I've used mine. Should have had a flashlight, and did, back in the plane. I use it at least 3 or 4 times a weeks, briefly, but it saves me having to pack a real flash lite around.

The Air Lanterns I bought for camping also continue to amaze, and in a pinch can double as a flashlight of sorts. https://www.amazon.com/MPOWERD-Luci-EMR ... sa-b2c-20&

Very good points... I too have been super impressed with the quality of rechargeable batteries and the gizmos with solar chargers have really come a long way. My better half found a street lamp that is solar powered. Placed outside of our house it is self contained, charges during the day, and comes on at dusk and off at dawn. It's amazing. It lights up the area around it very well. I may get a couple more to place alongside the driveway. Of course, the further north you live the less functional a solar powered light would be in the winter. denalipilot wouldn't get much use out of my street lamp in December and he doesn't need it in the summer ......

I probably use the flashlight on my smartphone daily.

RE: the inflatable emergency lantern ---- how long will it hold a charge if unused? In other words, if you put it in the sun all day to let it fully charge, then pack it away in your bag, can you pull it out a couple of months later and get some use out of it? And.. does it work as long on a single charge as they claim? There are a couple of internet reviews that say otherwise but I never know if I should trust internet reviews.

Cary wrote:I'm somewhat of a flashlight junkie, so much so that every time I go to REI, I look to see if they have one that I think I might want. Here's what I have in the airplane:

Maglite LED 2D, red lens, clamped to the flap handle
Maglite LED 2AA, red lens, velcro'd to the carpet sidewall beside the passenger
S&W Captain LED, velcro'd to the carpet sidewall beside the passenger
Pilot's pen flashlight pen, chained to my kneeboard (spare one in my flight bag), for writing in the dark
Flightlight Mic Light (2), attached to each of the mics of the front seat headsets
RayOVac 2 D, red lens, my original pilot flashlight--still works after almost 45 years
Throwaway LED squeeze light on the airplane's keychain
Lighted kneeboard to see notes, clearances I've written
Clamping LED light for unlighted clip boards
Glovelight LED light that I wear on my right hand--makes it easy to see what I'm reaching for

Of all of those, I think the S&W Captain is the most all around useful. It has 2 light levels of red light and also a bright white light. It uses 3 AA cells. It's a very sturdy, waterproof, compact, excellent light.

However, for in the cockpit use at night, there's nothing quite like the convenience of the Flightlight Mic light. It's lightweight (don't notice it's on the mic boom), and it shines wherever one looks. Theoretically it can be turned off and on and vary the light intensity with one's lips, but frankly I've never developed that skill.

But there's more! In my jeans pocket, I always have a Maglite LED 1AAA. In my survival bag, there's a 2C flashlight. When I have my camping gear with me, there are 3 more lights, 2 small Black Diamond LED lanterns (one is also a flashlight) and a medium size Black Diamond LED lantern. My tent fan also has LED lights.

Flashlights R Good!

Cary

And I thought I had a flashlight fetish..... you really have the bug!

I did get caught once years ago flying a C206 with my flashlight in a bag carelessly tossed just out of reach in the back. When the rain dripped in through the wing root air vent and the sparks flew off the instrument panel light switch it got very dark. I was saved by the red "Grimes" light attached to the sidewall. That cured me from being complacent about flying at night without easy access to at least two flashlights.

I keep two high-intensity red glow sticks tied to the top of the cabin so I can just reach up and break them if the lights go out. Replace them twice a year.

Great topic.

I'm not a flashlight snob but I do have a flashlight problem. I am in Costco pretty much once every two weeks and flashlights are like computer processors, always getting brighter and cheaper. I probably have a dozen 100+ lumen lights that I just don't use anymore because I have brighter/lighter replacements.

If I recall correctly, Costco is selling a two-pack of 200 lumen headlamps for about $30 right now. Red light on one button, three intensities of nice bright white on the other button. I used to have one with a green light option which was supposedly better for tracking a blood trail but I didn't notice any improvement so I'm happy with just the red light for when I really don't want to pooch my night vision by turning on a 200 lumen white light.

Funny, I'd never leave the house without my Leatherman attached but I don't feel the same way about a flashlight. I usually have my cell phone and that has an adequate flashlight feature if I need to spot a fallen screw in a dark place. That said, I probably have 7 or 8 lights stashed around my various vehicles.

I have some small-ish 3AAA-powered LED flashlights.
Got them at Costco a few years ago, aboput $20 for three.
Bright, brighter, and strobe settings.
Not gonna impress any flashlight snobs, but they work well.
Too much light for inside the airplane at night though,
I have a couple small single LED units for that-- one white, one red.

For panel lighting, take a look at the Pilot Light Pro, $20 from Aircraft Spruce:

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/el ... ghtpro.php

It'd be good for backup, I installed one for primary panel lighting.
Battery powered, or can be wired to aircraft power.
KInda spendy for what it is (plastic & cheesy),
but it seemed to be the most cost-effective solution for me for panel lighting.

FWIW this thread got me googling for flashlights, but I ended up ordering a new headlamp instead.
I have one, mainly for working on the airplane (esp under the panel), but it's a POS.

I came across Streamlight flashlights while on a job earlier this year and really liked them. I even found one in the hotwell of a steam turbine condenser and it still worked; it was trashed but considering what it had been though I was surprised it turned on at all.

http://streamlight.com/en/products/deta ... -lux-div-2

I'm a big fan of te nitecore products as well. They really are a great flashlight, and I like the fact that it's rechargeable. I had a hell of a time finding a good rechargeable light.
For flying, I like to have a headlamp with red/white lights. I had one, can't remember the brand and it got stolen, but it worked great in te cockpit. Red and dimmed real low so didn't mess with my night vision at all.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk