Flashlight question

[void]

Home Depot had a sale on a bunch of flashlights last week. I picked up a 3AA LED maglite for under 15, and a new 2D for around 11.

 

[Cardinal]

Member discount at www.opticshq.com brings the SureFire A2 down to a quite reasonable $157.95. You can score a free membership by doing a little research in the dealers section at www.candlepowerforums.com I recall the heady words of an inspired young man named Vanilla Ice: "Anything less than the best is a felony."

 

[I.P. Freley]

Member discount at www.opticshq.com brings the SureFire A2 down to a quite reasonable $157.95.

"Reasonable" is relative, my friend.

I have three Surefires and have bought 3 more as gifts for loved ones (in addition to 3 more purchased on my advice), so you can believe it when I say I was supremely pissed off when MY A2 failed on me two days ago. No incan, no LED, no NUTHIN'. After an $11 UPS return to Surefire today, it remains to be seen if they'll charge me for the repair. They'd better not for a $150 flashlight.... So much for "military grade" lights, I guess.

 

[n32jk]

Wow,

This it saddens me to see this at other airlines too. Our manuals state that we need 2 d cell or equivalent. IE 3v. Suddenly the schoolhouse proclaims 2 AA are 2v so a penlight is good to go. Our FAA oversight does not share their interpretation. I would hate to argue to an ALJ that aa is equivalent to D. How about this for a litmus test. Can your flashlight illuminate the bottom of the horizontal stab on a t tail transport at night in a snowstorm?? If not get a better flashlight. And don't give me that the installed equipment takes care of the regs. I catch you taking it out for a preflight and I will beyatch slap you across 2 concourses.

Now another issue is duration. I have noticed a shortened use life on some of the lithium units, but dang they are bright. I think they are a clear winner in the equivalent war. What I did was put an LED bulb in my 4 d cell maglight. A little dimmer but will now last forever. I have a small surefire type CR123 lithium powered flashligt also. I keep spare CR123's sealed in my briefcase in the back.

A word of warning,,,several actually, those shake to power flashlights will cause interference with instrumentation. They are a no no. CR123 and other lithium batteries should always be matched fresh or equivalent discharge state. IE one weak and one new battery can cause an overheat as they try to equalize. It would be embarrassing to blow the halon bottle into your flight case cause your flashlight was burning up.

Here is a great source for CR123 batteries. http://www.amondotech.com/

somewhere in their website they have a spec sheet on the battery performance and it looks good. They also shrink wrap two packs inline which would eliminate the nasty overheat mentioned above. Great price one buck a battery if you buy a few. Lithium batteries have great shelf life of about 7 years unused.

Come on guys be a man and carry a good flashligt...you might find something on that preflight you didn't want to fly with.........

 

[AutoBus]

These regs all need to be taken in the proper context. The part 91 reference that you quoted only applies to large and turbine powered multiengine and fractional airplanes being operated under part 91. Also, the reg you referenced says nothing about the pilot needing to carry the flashlight. Every other regulation regarding flashlights in part 91, part 135 and part 121 apply only to what the aircraft needs to be equipped with, not what the pilot needs to carry. 121.549 is the only regulation which says that a pilot needs to carry any kind of flashlight at all. This regulation says nothing about D cells, and only requires that the thing works.......so do my opspecs and I'm sure, every other opspecs that reference this regulation.

What paragraph in your ops specs discusses flashlights? Checked my company manual is specifies 2 D Cell or equivalent, that's clear enough for me, according to the FAA the only thing equivalent to a D Cell is a D cell, if it looks like a D cell, feels like a D cell it's a D cell, not a C cell, not a AA, not a AAA.

A UM-1 Battery is equivalent to a D cell


Why are these 20 something, backpack toting, Junior Jet pilots always trying to push the envelope?

 

[CheapFlyer]

according to the FAA the only thing equivalent to a D Cell is a D cell, if it looks like a D cell, feels like a D cell it's a D cell, not a C cell, not a AA, not a AAA.

These regs were written before LED flashlights have hit the market. I'm sure they required D cells so that the flashlight would last more than a hour. As we all know, a LED flashlight with 3AA's would outlast a regular flashlight powered by 2 D cells. Technically you are correct, but common sense says you are wrong. Thankfully, I've never heard of anyone getting 'busted' not having a 2 D cell flashlight.

-CF

 

[AutoBus]

These regs were written before LED flashlights have hit the market. I'm sure they required D cells so that the flashlight would last more than a hour. As we all know, a LED flashlight with 3AA's would outlast a regular flashlight powered by 2 D cells. Technically you are correct, but common sense says you are wrong. Thankfully, I've never heard of anyone getting 'busted' not having a 2 D cell flashlight.

-CF

I would propose to you, if you feel so strongly about it, propose a change to the FAA, and if they feel there is any merit to your proposal, I'm sure they will change it.

In the mean time, I'll carry a 2 D cell flashlight to compliance, and a smaller led flashlight to use. BTW I have seen someone 'harrassed" not although not 'busted' for having a working LED flashlight AND 2 D cell flashlight with weak batteries.

 

[indianboy7]

What paragraph in your ops specs discusses flashlights? Checked my company manual is specifies 2 D Cell or equivalent, that's clear enough for me, according to the FAA the only thing equivalent to a D Cell is a D cell, if it looks like a D cell, feels like a D cell it's a D cell, not a C cell, not a AA, not a AAA.

A UM-1 Battery is equivalent to a D cell


Why are these 20 something, backpack toting, Junior Jet pilots always trying to push the envelope?

your company manual needs to be updated then......ours mirrors the reg and only requires a properly operating flashlight to be carried in our flight bags.....

and just for the record, I am 20 something, hate backpacks, am a senior turboprop pilot, and wouldn't think about pushing the envelope.......imp:

 

[n32jk]

wooops meant to say 3v on line 2..... can't edit cause it's a different cpu I'm on.....