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Hands-Free Flashlights in the Cockpit

FLYING reviews two new options from Flight Gear.

The Bite Light was designed to provide hands free illumination. [Courtesy: Sporty's]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Pilots need hands-free flashlights with both white light for preflight inspections and colored light (like red) for cockpit use to preserve night vision, as white light can significantly impair it.
  • The Flight Gear Bite Light is a durable, USB-C rechargeable flashlight designed to be held in the mouth, featuring independent white and red light modes and varying intensity settings.
  • The Flight Gear Universal Aviator's Light is a versatile, AAA battery-powered option that can be worn as a headlamp or clipped to gear, offering a dual rotating axis and adjustable white and red light.
  • Both reviewed flashlights are lightweight, compact, and purpose-built for aviators, prioritizing practical use in the cockpit without adding significant bulk.
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There are three things that begin with the letter “F” that make my weekends more fun: flying, field hockey, and flashlights, as in testing the latter for use in the aircraft. Over the weekend I had a chance to test two hands-free models courtesy of Flight Gear and Sporty’s Pilot Shop.

It’s always a good idea to have at least two flashlights in your flight kit—one with a white light for preflight inspections, the other with a lens tinted red, green, amber, or blue for use in the dark because these colors do not destroy night vision.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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