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2D cell flashlight equivalent

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Just out of curiosity, do the planes you fly not have flashlights provided within them (i.e. attached in some way to the plane at each pilot's station)? I guess some do and some don't... anyway, the "2 D-cell equivalent" only seems to apply to "flying equipment required" in Part 91, (FAR 91.503(a)(1)) and thus to the flashlights provided for you within the plane. Part 121 only references a "flashlight in good working order" and does not specify a cell size (121.549(b)). So unless your ops specs require D-cells or equivalent, I don't know why you would carry one.

I carry a Surefire A2 and it's brighter than hell, and no FAA guy or girl has ever given me a problem about it when I have been ramped. Only occasionally have they ever even wanted to see that I had a flashlight in my flight bag. I don't think any of them has ever asked me to turn it on.
 
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Just out of curiosity, do the planes you fly not have flashlights provided within them (i.e. attached in some way to the plane at each pilot's station)? I guess some do and some don't... anyway, the "2 D-cell equivalent" only seems to apply to "flying equipment required" in Part 91, (FAR 91.503(a)(1)) and thus to the flashlights provided for you within the plane. Part 121 only references a "flashlight in good working order" and does not specify a cell size (that I can find, anyway). So unless your ops specs require D-cells or equivalent, I don't know why you would carry one.

I carry a Surefire A2 and it's brighter than hell, and no FAA guy or girl has ever given me a problem about it when I have been ramped. Only occasionally have they ever even wanted to see that I had a flashlight in my flight bag. I don't think any of them has ever asked me to turn it on.

I think they got rid of the D-Cell requirement in 121, since we have permanent flashlights in the airplane.

We have to carry our own to make sure we don't use the installed units for walk-arounds, etc.
 
Just out of curiosity, do the planes you fly not have flashlights provided within them (i.e. attached in some way to the plane at each pilot's station)?

Where I work, using the aircraft flashlights for walk around inspections is verboten; we must carry and use our own. The idea, I'm told, is to keep the aircraft flashlights fully charged at all times. Also, I just went through recurrent brainwashing class, and it was explained that the D-cell requirement is not applicable, because it is not listed in our OpSpecs.
 
Where I work, using the aircraft flashlights for walk around inspections is verboten; we must carry and use our own. The idea, I'm told, is to keep the aircraft flashlights fully charged at all times. Also, I just went through recurrent brainwashing class, and it was explained that the D-cell requirement is not applicable, because it is not listed in our OpSpecs.


We no longer have the D-cell requirement either...we just have to carry two working flashlights.
 
The only problem with your statement is that you are not qualified to make that determination.
As was stated before, is this one battle that you want to take on?

I didn't make the determination, the manufacturers did. All I did was read their analyses.
 
Went to the local FSDO to get an opinion and this is what they said, it must be bright enough to illuminate all parts of the aircraft from the ground. And I got it in writing, from the ATL FSDO, unfortunately some genius got the "or equivalent part" removed from the FOM. So a lot of good that does me.
 
§ 121.549 Flying equipment.

(a) The pilot in command shall ensure that appropriate aeronautical charts containing adequate information concerning navigation aids and instrument approach procedures are aboard the aircraft for each flight.
(b) Each crewmember shall, on each flight, have readily available for his use a flashlight that is in good working order.

The 2D cell or equivalent is still in Part 91.

§ 91.503 Flying equipment and operating information.

(a) The pilot in command of an airplane shall ensure that the following flying equipment and aeronautical charts and data, in current and appropriate form, are accessible for each flight at the pilot station of the airplane:
(1) A flashlight having at least two size “D” cells, or the equivalent, that is in good working order.




Crisis Averted....carry on. Thanks!
 
Also required for night VFR flights part 135

135.159 Equipment requirements: Carrying passengers under VFR at night or under VFR over-the-top conditions.
No person may operate an aircraft carrying passengers under VFR at night or under VFR over-the-top, unless it is equipped with—
(a) A gyroscopic rate-of-turn indicator except on the following aircraft:
(1) Airplanes with a third attitude instrument system usable through flight attitudes of 360 degrees of pitch-and-roll and installed in accordance with the instrument requirements prescribed in §121.305(j) of this chapter.
(2) Helicopters with a third attitude instrument system usable through flight attitudes of ±80 degrees of pitch and ±120 degrees of roll and installed in accordance with §29.1303(g) of this chapter.
(3) Helicopters with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 6,000 pounds or less.
(b) A slip skid indicator.
(c) A gyroscopic bank-and-pitch indicator.
(d) A gyroscopic direction indicator.
(e) A generator or generators able to supply all probable combinations of continuous in-flight electrical loads for required equipment and for recharging the battery.
(f) For night flights—
(1) An anticollision light system;
(2) Instrument lights to make all instruments, switches, and gauges easily readable, the direct rays of which are shielded from the pilots' eyes; and
(3) A flashlight having at least two size “D” cells or equivalent.
(g) For the purpose of paragraph (e) of this section, a continuous in-flight electrical load includes one that draws current continuously during flight, such as radio equipment and electrically driven instruments and lights, but does not include occasional intermittent loads.
(h) Notwithstanding provisions of paragraphs (b), (c), and (d), helicopters having a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 6,000 pounds or less may be operated until January 6, 1988, under visual flight rules at night without a slip skid indicator, a gyroscopic bank-and-pitch indicator, or a gyroscopic direction indicator.
 
Note that both the Part 91 and Part 135 regulations referenced here require the PIC to make sure the PLANE is equipped with the 2 D-cell flashlights, not to carry them himself (just like your plane is supposed to have headsets available for each position in the cockpit ...did you know that, Captains? You can be ding-ed for that if you're ramped and the plane's headsets are not on board...I have friends who were busted for it by an anal inspector).

If your plane has the built-in or otherwise attached flashlights for emergency use, the only one you should have to PERSONALLY carry is "a flashlight in good working order," as referenced by Part 121 (if you're flying Part 121 that is).
 
I carry the nice plastic Eveready brand flashlight. They come in a pack of two for $4.50 and they come with the batteries!!!

They're made in the USA and if I break one, I really don't care. They're 2D cells, so there's no argument and well, they've been able to light up anything I've ever needed to see.

So let's see Surefire($60) - Cheap a$$ red plastic flashlight($2.25) = $57.75 for the bar.

... or I could just buy 26 cheap red plastic ones with the batteries if you're concerned about breaking them.
 
I haven't seen it in writing but during OE in the bus, the captain told me it had to be powerful enough to illuminate the wing tips. I don't know if their theory is to see the longest distance from any vantage point, but it wouldn't make since if you are flying an MD-80 cuz I don't think you can see the wing tips from the flightdeck.

(unless you opened the window first, eh?)

Seriously . . on the FAA would write something like "2 D cell compliant" in a reg.

It's been said before: "FAA lawyers are either the most brilliant, or the most stupid, lawyers on the planet."
 

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