Shoot your plane with a Smith & Wesson

It's certainly a lot cheaper than another company I was referred to. I can't recall the name but they made high-end flashlights for both hunters, aviation and law enforcement. It wasn't Pelican but rather a company considerably more expensive than them.
 
Way too much money for what it is and what it won't do.
For about 5 bucks you can get an AA or AAA focusable clip on with flexible neck that will put the amount of light you want, where you want it, hands free. I like 2 or 3 in the flight bag for every flight.
 
Smith & Wesson flashlight PIREP

KennyFlys said:
It's certainly a lot cheaper than another company I was referred to. I can't recall the name but they made high-end flashlights for both hunters, aviation and law enforcement. It wasn't Pelican but rather a company considerably more expensive than them.
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PIREP:

Got my S&W from Sportys... it is a VERY nice quality flashlight. It's all machined black anodized aluminum, including the battery cap at the end. A battery "cartridge" slides out of the barrel and holds 3 AAA batteries snugly; like loading a slug, the cartridge slides back in.

Intense white LED light from 10 LEDs around the outer ring; inset inside those are three red LEDs; separate rubber-covered push-button toggle switches control the white and red lights individually, allowing you to select white light, 1- or 3-red lights, or both simultaneously.

Also included is a high-quality battery holster with belt clip, and--neat feature alert!--a separate little velcro pocket on the side of the holster that holds your three AA spares, so they're already WITH the flashlight when you need them, not floating around in the bottom of your flight bag.

Total length is 6 3/8 inches, weight with batteries loaded is 6.5 ounces per my kitchen scale. The barrel is machine cross-cut knurled to improve grip. Barrel diameter is "just right", not too big or small. The light is diffuse and even, with no sharp or blank areas.

And, unlike my mini-maglite, I can turn it on with one hand without worrying about "untwisting" too far and losing the cap off the top!

As you might be able to tell, I highly recommend this flashlight!! The quality of construction/engineering, along with performance, is well on-par with the price.
 
I bought that bad boy a few weeks ago when I got back into night flying. It's a great flashlight for flying...camping too!
 
Re: Smith & Wesson flashlight PIREP

TangoWhiskey said:
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As you might be able to tell, I highly recommend this flashlight!! The quality of construction/engineering, along with performance, is well on-par with the price.
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Made in China, right? :rolleyes:
 
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wby0nder said:
For roughly the same price you can have hands free lighting with 3 levels and red filter with this: http://en.petzl.com/petzl/LampesProduits?Produit=482

I love mine and use them a lot.
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That's cool, Matt, but I'm a pilot, not a miner! :rofl:

I have hand's free lighting, too... I stick it in the seat back pocket, bouncing off the ceiling. Makes GREAT light in the cockpit if you lose all the other lights, hands free, and doesn't blind you. Now, the folks in the backseat, on the other hand.... :rolleyes:
 
TangoWhiskey said:
That's cool, Matt, but I'm a pilot, not a miner!
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I saw Matt using it one night. I thought it was dorky but ended up buying one the next time I needed a flashlight. Let me tell you--it is amazing. Nothing better.

You always know where the light is. It's easy and fast to turn on. It can be adjusted. Uses LEDs and lasts forever. It's exactly what you need in the cockpit.

You already have to wear a dorky headset. You might as well wear a dorky flashlight. It *DOES* make night flight safer.
 
jesse said:
I saw Matt using it one night. I thought it was dorky but ended up buying one the next time I needed a flashlight. Let me tell you--it is amazing. Nothing better.

You always know where the light is. It's easy and fast to turn on. It can be adjusted. Uses LEDs and lasts forever. It's exactly what you need in the cockpit.

You already have to wear a dorky headset. You might as well wear a dorky flashlight. It *DOES* make night flight safer.
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Dorky eh? Well I thought you were pretty dorky when I first met you but I'd never say so in a public forum.

Yea these little headlamps are fantastic and you don't have to wear them on your head if you have a miner complex. Around the neck inverted is really nice too, more casual and unobtrusive.

That particular model is important to get. There are a bunch that look roughly the same but it's the one with the red filter and variable illumination. I use mine around the house, in the car, in the shop, even worn it to bed when I knew I had to get up in the middle of the night and I would never fly at night without it.

There are occasions when a focused spot light is needed and then the typical mag light is needed but they are rare.

One amusing point... On the later versions of Star Trek they still use hand held lights on dark "away missions" and it just kills me every time. It's the freeking 23rd century or so and they still haven't figured out the hands free head lamp? They got ray guns that can cut through solid rock and communication badges and beam me up transporters but they have to carry around really dorky flashlights with one hand while defending themselves from superintellegent man eating cybernetic macro bacteria from the planet zebulon? Nuts. The only thing I can figure is that the directors realized that they needed directed lighting effects without having to make the actors point their heads various directions or that they kept looking into the camera and washing-out the shot.
 
wby0nder said:
On the later versions of Star Trek they still use hand held lights on dark "away missions" and it just kills me every time. It's the freeking 23rd century or so and they still haven't figured out the hands free head lamp? They got ray guns that can cut through solid rock and communication badges and beam me up transporters but they have to carry around really dorky flashlights with one hand while defending themselves from superintellegent man eating cybernetic macro bacteria from the planet zebulon? Nuts. The only thing I can figure is that the directors realized that they needed directed lighting effects without having to make the actors point their heads various directions or that they kept looking into the camera and washing-out the shot.
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Now that's dorky! :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:




But a very good point...
 
wby0nder said:
...you don't have to wear them on your head if you have a miner complex.
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Miner complex, eh? Well, I thought you looked like a miner wearing that headband flashlight, but I'd never say so in a public forum. :rofl:

Thanks for the good review, and Jesse, for the corroboration. I may have to try one! Hey, maybe we can try some night landings at Gastons so I can check it out. :no:

wby0nder said:
One amusing point... On the later versions of Star Trek they still use hand held lights on dark "away missions" and it just kills me every time. It's the freeking 23rd century or so and they still haven't figured out the hands free head lamp?
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A-freakin'-men!! That's a spot-on observation, no pun intended!
 
S&W are just doing the Harley Davidson thing. People will buy it only for the name. "He he, I'm packin' a Smith and Wesson. Click."
 
JohnR said:
S&W are just doing the Harley Davidson thing. People will buy it only for the name. "He he, I'm packin' a Smith and Wesson. Click."
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The little focusable, goosenecked, clip-ons are the most versatile, and cheapest.

I prefer 2 of them clipped to the chest pocket area but, they can be attached almost anywhere. One pointing towards the chart on my lap, the other as backup and pointed towards the panel.
 
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flyingcheesehead said:
I thought the wearing the headlamp to bed thing was WAY more dorky than the Star Trek observation. :rofl:

I should get one. I have a miner complex, but it's only a minor miner complex. :rofl:
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I only have a small problem with kids working in mines... you know...

a minor minor miner complex. :rolleyes:

I did see another guy at the FBO wearing and using a headlight last night at the airport when I got night current, as he pre-flighted.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I only have a small problem with kids working in mines... you know...

a minor minor miner complex. :rolleyes:
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I know just how you feel!!! I feel the same way. I even wrote a song about it. It's written in, you guessed it, A minor. I call it....

A Minor Minor Minor Miner Complex. :hairraise:
 
gibbons said:
I know just how you feel!!! I feel the same way. I even wrote a song about it. It's written in, you guessed it, A minor. I call it....

A Minor Minor Minor Miner Complex. :hairraise:
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:) They're gonna have special parking and white jackets for us at Gastons.
 
gibbons said:
I know just how you feel!!! I feel the same way. I even wrote a song about it. It's written in, you guessed it, A minor. I call it....

A Minor Minor Minor Miner Complex. :hairraise:
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I wrote a song too! :yes:

It was written on my trip. Sounds more authentic played to the sound of my brace wires being strummed in the key of B flat.
 
Diana said:
I wrote a song too! :yes:

It was written on my trip. Sounds more authentic played to the sound of my brace wires being strummed in the key of B flat.
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What do you get when you drop a piano down a coal mine?



A flat minor.



Sorry but that's been the only joke I've known for 20 years and this was the set up of a lifetime.
 
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