I need a flashlight

Greg Bockelman

Greg Bockelman

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Greg Bockelman
Without going into the gory details, I need a flashlight. It needs to be capable of illuminating the top of a rudder/vertical stabilizer that is 60 feet off the ground. So it needs an effective illumination range of 100 feet. I have a 2 D cell Mag Light, but I want something smaller. Preferably similar to a 2 AA cell Mag Light.

Recommendations? I known LEDs are brighter, but the ones I have seen are better as floods, not spots, and diffuse in a relative short distance.

My budget is in the neighborhood of 20 bucks. Any more than that, and I will bite the bullet and carry my 2 D cell Mag Light.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
My budget is in the neighborhood of 20 bucks. Any more than that, and I will bite the bullet and carry my 2 D cell Mag Light.
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With that budget I think you will need to keep your two cell MagLite :wink2:

But I have the exact model that Anthony recommended above and it should do the trick.

Have the FAA regs finally changed allowing more flexibility on the type of flashlight authorized? I remember them being a bit antiquated (D-cell required etc.)
 
This isn't the cockpit flashlight required by 135.159(f)(3) (which still requires "at least two size “D” cells or equivalent"), this is the one Greg needs to see the top of the tail of a 777 during preflight at night. Not many 2xD flashlights project a useful beam that far.
 
I like Surefire flashlights too, especially the A2 aviator which is designed for what Greg wants to do. However, I'm not dropping $200 for a flashlight. My $40 Pelican pretty much does the same thing.

If a pro like Richard uses one, then that makes me feel even better.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Without going into the gory details, I need a flashlight. It needs to be capable of illuminating the top of a rudder/vertical stabilizer that is 60 feet off the ground. So it needs an effective illumination range of 100 feet. I have a 2 D cell Mag Light, but I want something smaller. Preferably similar to a 2 AA cell Mag Light.

Recommendations? I known LEDs are brighter, but the ones I have seen are better as floods, not spots, and diffuse in a relative short distance.

My budget is in the neighborhood of 20 bucks. Any more than that, and I will bite the bullet and carry my 2 D cell Mag Light.
Click to expand...

The dirt cheep "lantern battery" style flashlight that I bought at the local discount store does a pretty decent job of illuminating the tops of he neighbors trees. But it is heavier to carry around.
 
Here ya go - VectorLight million candlepower flashlight - only costs like $31 bucks!

VEC117FS_1.150x150.jpg
 
I have a Surefire G2. Outputs either 65 or 120 lumens (very bright).

60 minute run-time at 65 lumens
20 minute run-time at 120 lumens

You need to use a 123A battery which is somewhat difficult to find. You should be able to get the Surefire Lithium 123A batteries from a place like Scheels or Cabellas (box of 12 lithium 123As for $21).

Flashlight costs $39
 
etsisk said:
Here ya go - VectorLight million candlepower flashlight - only costs like $31 bucks!

VEC117FS_1.150x150.jpg
Click to expand...

I have something simialr from Harbor Freight. Cost more like $10 and uses LEDs. It's got a hand crank (which is pretty darn useless, unless you have a lot of hours to sit around and just crank a flashlight), and can also be charged by either your cigarette lighter or a standard 120VAC.

It makes a great dead battery container in my flight bag. :)
 
Pelican or Princeton Tec LEDs are the way to go! Both much cheaper than Surefire's of similar light output.
 
I recently bought a two-pack of 3-watt Lightmates at Costco for $24. With batteries, yet. These are 2-AA cell flashlights (meaning that batteries are much cheaper than for the 3-AAA LED flashlights and they last longer) and they are so bright they're dangerous to point at anyone if they're nearby. They make every other flashlight I ever owned look sick, including the 3-D cell Maglight. They are very well focused. They supposedly have a focusing feature but it makes little difference; it just makes the LED itself show up nice and sharp on any surface.

And so cheap that it's no big deal if it gets lost or crunched.

Sure wouldn't want to use it in the cockpit at night. You wouldn't see anything again until morning.

Read about what some guys find with them here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=213183

Dan
 
jesse said:
I have a Surefire G2. Outputs either 65 or 120 lumens (very bright).

60 minute run-time at 65 lumens
20 minute run-time at 120 lumens

You need to use a 123A battery which is somewhat difficult to find. You should be able to get the Surefire Lithium 123A batteries from a place like Scheels or Cabellas (box of 12 lithium 123As for $21).

Flashlight costs $39
Click to expand...

That is the direction I am headed, Jesse. Looks like it will do what I want it to do.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Without going into the gory details, I need a flashlight. It needs to be capable of illuminating the top of a rudder/vertical stabilizer that is 60 feet off the ground. So it needs an effective illumination range of 100 feet. I have a 2 D cell Mag Light, but I want something smaller. Preferably similar to a 2 AA cell Mag Light.

Recommendations? I known LEDs are brighter, but the ones I have seen are better as floods, not spots, and diffuse in a relative short distance.

My budget is in the neighborhood of 20 bucks. Any more than that, and I will bite the bullet and carry my 2 D cell Mag Light.
Click to expand...
Greg, the 2 AA maglite is now a three LED setup. If you have an old Magline for $10.00 you can get a kit to convert it. Alkaline AAs are avalable at only Ramada Inn....
 
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bbchien said:
Greg, the 2 AA maglite is now a three LED setup. If you have an old Magline for $10.00 you can get a kit to convert it. Alkaline AAs are avalable at only Ramada Inn....
Click to expand...

I did that. It wasn't worth the $10. The Lightmates from Costco, or even the one-watt single-LED lights I bought there earlier, were far superior to the Maglite conversion.

The one or three watt LEDs are easily focused and intense. The multi-LED setups use low-power LEDs normally found in indicator lights and typically draw around 50 mA, I think, making them about 0.15 watts apiece. Pretty feeble. I use my lights for aircraft inspection and repair, and appreciate something with lots of light.

Dan
 
Well, my flashlight issue solved itself, for free no less. I had a regular 2 AA cell light on my toolbox that I put two new batteries in. It illuminated a house a couple of doors down to my satisfaction. At this point, it suits my needs.
 
AWACSEng said:
This is the way to go. I can see the tippy top of the tail of a 707 with this. Battery life leaves a bit to be desired though.
Click to expand...

One has to wonder just how long the batteries last when the manufacturers webpage lists a "case" of twelve batteries as the first item under "Accessories".
 
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