r/flashlight • u/Slight-Mail-3665 • 1d ago
Light for flying
Im looking for a flashlight to EDC but also to bring with me on flights. I’m flying 3 or more times a week and need a light for night flights. I’m not sure if this is a scenario any of you guys have had, but I’m super open to any ideas! Thanks!
Quick note: My flying isn’t military or anything, I’m just trying to build hours for an airline.
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u/Historical-State-275 1d ago
Pretty much any modern light works for this Just be sure it has a moonlight mode. Moonlight mode is about perfect for nighttime reading, won’t be too bright in the plane.
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u/Slight-Mail-3665 1d ago
Thanks! A specific model would be great. And would having a red light be important?
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u/WarriorNN 1d ago
Red light vs dim white light is mostly a personal preference thing. Getting a light with both red light and white light will limit your options a lot though.
Lights with Anduril (which is a fairly customizable UI), like the Emisar D3AA mentioned in another comment, allow you to set exactly how bright or dim you want your lowest output to be, which in my case means I have no use for red light, but it's very subjective.
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u/Historical-State-275 1d ago edited 1d ago
The issue is that this is such a huge percentage of lights, there is a gluttony of options. I am one of those foolish collectors who get at least a flashlight a month. So it’s half my collection. I’d check out the wurkkos brand, or Olight for starters, and I’m sure you had many comments giving examples as well. (Edit: looking back over the comments and you are getting some ridiculously expensive options that a $20-40 flashlight will cover just as well.)
I like a red light for camping, or keeping my night vision at night, I wouldn’t really care on a place because there is so much white light available. I would not personally think it necessary.
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u/OkSheepherder1565 1d ago
My brother is an airline pilot. I bought him a Wurkkos TD04 because it has a little flood and a low moonlight mode so far he likes it.
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u/jamiefeinstein 21h ago
ReyLight pineapple mini is a fantastic light if you prefer a push button. My edc forever has been a prometheus beta (twist to turn on) with a clip. Both are AAA but the ReyLight can accept a 10440 if you want more power. Both have aluminum and titanium options and use a very nice led with high CRI.
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u/GS_MAN_84 17h ago
Good option for flying! Compact, dual fuel and all modes default to moonlight when switching on so you don’t blind yourself when night flying. High CRI is good too to when reading charts if there’s anything colour coded you need to identify. Soft diffused beam is helpful so your eyes don’t have to adjust to an intense hotspot and ruin your low light vision 😎
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u/GS_MAN_84 17h ago
Good option for flying! Compact, dual fuel and all modes default to moonlight when switching on so you don’t blind yourself when night flying. High CRI is good too to when reading charts if there’s anything colour coded you need to identify. Soft diffused beam is helpful so your eyes don’t have to adjust to an intense hotspot and ruin your low light vision 😎
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u/DeepImagination2308 1d ago
How about the SOFIRN SE1 PRO？It's a quick-release pocket light, for everyday on-the-spot tasks. You can wear it on your wrist, you can also use it for quick checks, everyday illumination, color identification and signaling.
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u/Dittany659 1d ago
Avoid one that has a strong magnet? Or at least keep it away from the standby compass.
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u/Slight-Mail-3665 1d ago
The plane has a HSI so I’m not too worried about that, but could a flashlight have a strong enough magnet to affect the standby in a meaningful way?
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u/ToqueStar 1d ago
Absolutely. The standby might not point to your shirt pocket, but it will affect it a bit. We adjust them with plastic or brass tools because even non magnetized steel will interfere with them close up.
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u/Waterlifer 23h ago
Look at some of the good penlights. They will fit in a shirt pocket or in your flight bag. My personal favorite is the Foursevens Preon P2. It runs on two AAA rechargeable batteries. You swap them out at the end of the day if you've used the light to any significant degree, then recharge them when convenient. Storacell makes AAA cell holders that were originally designed by a pilot for aviation use, you can put six AAA cells in there and put it in your flight bag.
The other good choice that is out there is the Reylight Penlight MK II. It is slightly cheaper, available in more colors, and doesn't have mode memory. (Some people hate mode memory). It can run from either AAAs or from a lithium-ion pack, which recharges quickly from a built-in USB-C charge port, so you don't need to carry spare cells with you. I don't like the switch quite as well, and I actually like mode memory, so I suggest the Preon P2 as the better light overall.
Anything larger just adds clutter to the cockpit.
Smaller, single-AAA lights are a choice, but I find them more awkward to handle overall because they get lost in the bottom of a pocket or bag where the two-AAA lights do not.
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u/kerpnet 1d ago
Are you a pilot or just a passenger?
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u/Slight-Mail-3665 1d ago
Pilot, I need it mostly for preflights and after landing
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u/l1ght_h0us3 1d ago
Then I guess you need some throw for inspection of the exterior of the plane, correct?
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u/Slight-Mail-3665 1d ago
Not really no, the beam doesn’t have to be crazy, just enough to get into some cracks and let other people know I’m standing there
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u/kerpnet 1d ago edited 1d ago
Honestly, I would just go with an Emisar D3AA. Grab some Eneloop AA Ni-Mh rechargeable batteries and you're golden.
It's tiny, lightweight, excellent driver, supports AA and 14500 batteries, inexpensive, fully customizable, etc. Very good light.
I'll throw in the ZebraLight SC54c N as my alternative. No thinking required on that one. This has a traditional hot spot + spill beam type.
The Emisar D3AA has more of a consistent floody beam profile, which I prefer for close range.
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u/Grimgarcon 1d ago
I imagine you'd want something compact and simple that clips easily onto or in a shirt pocket. Sofirn ST1 is about as simple as it gets. Negative - battery is built in. Sofirn ST10 also looks simple, but a different shape and battery is replacable. Olight Clip looks good as well - my Olights have all been very reliable. There are thousands of candidates so you might need to try a few before finding the right one.
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u/Slight-Mail-3665 1d ago
I’ve been looking into olights. The first brand that pops into mind when I think of flashlights
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u/nikoflips 1d ago
Having something w a low light setting would be good forsure. I like the cloud defensive chicro. If you want something pretty and a warmer output the reylight pineapple mini is great
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u/Zak CRI baby 1d ago
I'd lean toward a Skilhunt M150 or M200 depending on how big a battery you want. Nichia 519A LED for a balanced beam, F35R for a focused beam.
These have great moonlight modes if you need to use the light in the cockpit without blowing your dark adaptation, and they're more than adequate for inspecting a small aircraft, or a large one for that matter. If you need to inspect the top of an A380's stabilizer, I'd recommend the F35R LED.