Per SCR 4 this issue already addressed on almost all better flashlights which have multiple intensity levels. Many cheap ones even have this feature.
Re no tactical look you’re kind of out of luck as 90%+ of the ones in this category adopt that look.
Fenix and Nightcore are brands I have used and are (so far) over several years bulletproof. There are many others but these are well regarded as giving good quality/value for price. I use the 2 AA battery models. You don’t need C’s with LED lights.
I also have a ton of cheapo LED tactical flashlights that work quite well but have about a 30-40% die off rate over the years.
A word to the wise. If the light is mission critical store it without the batteries inside for the periods in which will not be used for a long time. Leaking batteries are not an issue of “if” but “when” and leaking batteries can destroy even a bulletproof flashlight.
As an add note the cheapos are actually quite useful as you can scatter a bunch around and they are always handy vs having to go get the good ones from wherever you last left them.
I’ll second the idea that Nitecore and Fenix lights are reliable and a pretty good value for the money. You’d have to check their websites for the one that meets your specific needs. But they make many different models so your likely to find one that’s a good fit.
Now if you had access to a Surefire 6P I’d recommend a Malkoff P60 drop in for that light. US made and absolutely dependable. Add two CR123A lithium cells and you’ll have a light you can put away for 5 years and when you pick it up it will work. There’s nothing wrong with the stock surefire light, but Malkoff drop in units are available in at least three power levels as well as warm white as well.
I know you don’t want the “tactical crap” but I got this one for my partner who has the same requirements as you (though it is mainly used in the simulator as the cockpit lighting is adequate in real flight). It has two power levels and she says the low power level is ok for in the cockpit though I think it is still a bit bright. It is also good for external walk-arounds at night. Much better than the Dolphins supplied by the company. You don’t have to put the belt clip on it.
The description on that light mentions turning on/off without disturbing the focal length. Is that a zooming light? It looks like you might be able to turn it on in low without having a burst of high. If so that’s a good thing.
If 99% is approach plates, SIDS & STARS with a high enroute once in a while, IMO Red works fine.
If the vibration is big Iron fine, do not keep it on a metal shelf, padding or brain bag is plenty of insulation and you don’t get the same A/C every time so that also solves the ‘having it when you need it’ problem.
Lived for many years with the old 1950’s style one or two red spot lights and it was not a big deal to read color sectionals. True, we were not at jet speed. Bawahahahah
Seems the new cockpit lighting and glass panels has a many colors set up and a lot of white instrument lights on steam gauges. So, low powered white light would be OK unless… ( all kinds of one off situations that would need a whole box of different flashlights and during a real emergency there would not be time to chose anyway IMO. )
If you have regular night trips or dark at one end or the other and don’t check your emergency flashlight for months, … hummm, … might rethink that. Jes sayin…
The trouble with C 123 powered lights is you only get about 10 seconds of warning that the batteries are done. Spare batteries on the ground are as useful as fuel on the ground. A backup to the back up is not too $$$$ when things are going sideways faster and faster. You already know all that but the soap box is so inviting sometimes.
Actually, now that we have a fully paperless cockpit the one thing we never need is a light to read a chart by. If the tablet’s battery isn’t dead the screen glows nicely all by itself. Every one of us oldsters has commented on how nice it is to have charts that glow. And that zoom. No more reading 7 point dark gray type on light gray paper there Mr. Jeppesen. OTOH, *if *the tablet’s dead, the screen is blank and we have no charts at all. Zero, zilch, zip, nada. Progress giveth, and Progress taketh away. At least the FMS thinks it knows where it is and where it’s going even if we no longer have an independent check on its “thinking”.
The actual use case nowadays is 2.5-fold:
Exterior preflights at night/dusk/dawn. Bright is OK, but don’t want dazzling.
Illuminating the windshield wipers & bit of nose out the windscreen at night. That’s where we look for airframe ice since that couple of square feet is the only part of the whole 180’ wide x 180’ long airplane we can even see. For this, dim is best, otherwise our night vision gets trashed. In the old days a Grimes light on a curly cable could be used; nowadays those either aren’t installed or are on fixed posts, not almost-long-enough curly cables.
0.5) (More like 0.000000005). The shit really hits the fan and we’re flat out of electrons at night & need a flashlight to find the various emergency switches and circuit breakers & such to try to get at least emergency instrument power back.
Surefire makes some pretty good quality flashlights, although they trend toward the “tactical” crowd. Many of their models have a high/low brightness option that is toggled with the switch (1 click for low, 2 for high).
Here’s a good option, depending on how you feel about 123A batteries:
Are there any small flashlights that have a nice wide beam and warmer light? I need a small toolbox flashlight for machine shop work, usually for back lighting something that I am trying to line up with precision (e.g. setting the lathe tool height).
I don’t want any tactical crap either, just a good no-nonsense flashlight.
I have the Lumintop Tool AAA mentioned above. It’s a good light. One thing I like about it is that it has an endcap clicky switch whereas most AAA size lights have twisty switches that are hard to work with one hand. However, it has 3 brightness levels that come on in the order M-L-H whereas if you really want to preserve night vision, you want something that starts at the lowest level, or that has a brightness control separate from the on switch. Also some lights have very dim low settings, for use when eyes are dark-adjusted. You may want to look for one of those. Or get a separate light for that purpose.
A AAA-sized light is nice for everyday carry because it can fit it a pocket without being noticeable, and if you need to use your hands you can easily hold the flashlight in your mouth, and some of them can be clipped to the brim of a baseball cap. But it’s a little bit easy to lose. You might want to look for something bigger, and possibly with a bright color for the case so it’s easier to find if you drop it.
If you’re only going to be using it a couple times a month, you don’t want to leave alkaline (AKA Alkaleak) batteries in it because they will leak sooner or later. You probably want lithium batteries such as these: https://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Ultimate-Lithium-Batteries-Each/dp/B00003IEME/ That’s single-use lithium, not rechargeable lithium-ion. Or you could just put in freshly charged rechargeable NIMH batteries each time you fly.
If you really need the flashlight for safety purposes, I would get more than one flashlight. And test them before each flight, plus have spare batteries. Also, have a fully charged smartphone in your pocket since they can generally be used as a flashlight.
I read an article in Sky & Telescope that argued that amber, not red, was the best color for seeing at night without ruining night vision. Red affects night vision less than other colors for a given brightness, but you have to use more red light to see than you do with amber. Here are some discussions on the subject:
I’ve never found one really decent small flashlight. All of them seen to have a switch that is soldered to a board that the spring to connect to the negative of the battery is also soldered. A good flashlight should have no solder at all, it’s just too weak. I want a flashlight with welded or brazed connections, a switch from a real manufacturer like AMP or Switchcraft.
For this, dim is best, otherwise our night vision gets trashed. In the old days a Grimes light on a curly cable could be used; nowadays those either aren’t installed or are on fixed posts, not almost-long-enough curly cables.