r/flashlight • u/CrossfeedCow • 17h ago

Recommendation Flashlight for helicopter pilot

Hello! I’m a SAR helicopter pilot looking to stop getting crappy lights that stop working after a year or so of use. I read some posts by airline guys asking for recommendations and seems like the P40 and Arfeld Pro are regularly offered. Unlike an airline guy I don’t need to shoot a beam at stuff 40 feet away, I would mostly be using it to see directly inside cowlings maybe a foot away at most, a flood for night time walk around would be good too. Wouldn’t be using it in the cockpit at all, I fly under goggles so I have a great lanyard pelican green light that I love for that.

I’ve heard some of these can come with UV for spotting fluid leaks and that would be great too. Preferably USB-C, don’t want any proprietary ports, and something pretty small (cigar sized at most) would be ideal. Thanks for the help!

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u/Wirehead-be 17h ago

An Armytek Wizard Pro Nichia. Floody TIR optic with high cri, low moonlight mode as well, potted driver,.. granted, no USB-C charging, but does have magnetic charging.

5

u/Ziazan 15h ago

This is basically the same light as the Skilhunt H300 with the Nichia 144(?) & TIR lens but skilhunt don't seem to make it anymore, it's been out of stock every time I've checked. It was brilliant, I loved mine. It started to get excessively hot one day after about 4 years of being dropped off of ladders and battered around daily and such, and also cuts out from heat way quicker than it should these days unless you keep it on a low setting, so it's in retirement now.

TIR optics are so good for that sort of thing, such a nice even beam.

4

u/fragande 15h ago edited 15h ago

but skilhunt don't seem to make it anymore

It's been replaced by the "Skilhunt" F50S emitter which in addition is high R9 as well (144ART is R9050). 5000K instead of 4500K though (unfortunately IMO).

4

u/Ziazan 15h ago

Yeah, doesn't really count as a replacement IMO, 4500 was one of the things I really liked about it, 5k is alright but, not as nice. Also, I was under the impression that that emitter automatically came as the orangepeel reflector version but looking at the site now, it seems like that might not be the case, at least not anymore. I might end up with one anyway, even though I've got various other headtorches these days, seeing as it looks like I can get a TIR lens on it.