Monday, December 15, 2025

Airplane travel on Chanukah- flashlight must be less than 7 inches, FAA regs.


 These are 100% acceptable (real glowing wire filament):

๐Ÿ”ฆ Maglite Mini 2-AA — INCANDESCENT

  • Real tungsten filament

  • Uses 2 AA batteries

  • Very common in Ace / old hardware stock

  • Best overall choice

๐Ÿ”ฆ Maglite Solitaire 1-AAA — INCANDESCENT

  • Real filament

  • Small but works for lighting

  • Often kept behind counter

๐Ÿ”ฆ Maglite 2-D or 3-D — INCANDESCENT

  • Larger, brighter

  • Uses D batteries

  • Often stocked as “emergency flashlight”

⚠️ Avoid anything labeled:

  • “LED”

  • “Filament LED”

  • “Warm LED”

  • “Rechargeable”


INSIDER TIP (VERY IMPORTANT)

Even if the box says “Maglite”, open it and check:

  • You should see a thin metal wire filament

  • If you see a yellow square or plastic dome → ❌ LED

Ask them to open the box — completely normal request.


✈️ FLIGHT / HALACHA PRACTICALITY

  • AA / AAA incandescent flashlight is TSA-permitted

  • Works perfectly to ignite a Shamash or transfer flame

  • This is the most widely relied-upon solution when traveling


๐Ÿ•Ž BOTTOM LINE

If you get:
Mini-Maglite INCANDESCENT (AA or AAA)
you are 100% set with a true filament light.


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The posek achron, Given smicha by Reb Shneur to run a Kitchen, Has the last word that its OK to light chanukah lights on a plane with some 'modernah' lichtalach.

Chronicles of an OU mashgiach said...

The am haaretz 'You Know Who' in Qveens dort, thinks he's making fun of R' Yudel when Rav Elyashev alein poskened to even use LED as a bedieved when no incandescent is available. Not that it bothers the mashgiach who would be mevazeh Moshe Rabbeinu if it advanced one of his twisted agendas for a moment. And like that stash of antique bichlach the mashgiach so cherishes, that he 'claims' to have a 'heter' to be machzik from a long dead posek no one can verify with, the Medieval Galochim in their Sunday sermons would baredd gedolim

Anonymous said...

Pope Paulie, your guru allows all bichlach. No matter where they originate.
Rav EY may have said ื‘ื“ื™ืขื‘ื“ one use these lichtalach but not in a place that’s not your home or your ืื›ืกื ื™ื ) if you know what that means.
Also those Briskeh guys who went to that infamous Daf Yomi Shiur, woe on you ( you claim your a Briskeh and no one else is ) and woe on them. Look where Brisk is now. Daf Yomi Talmidim.

Anonymous said...

You don’t know what you’re hocking about. The eidim R’ Chaim Kanievsky is published as poskening to bedieved use an LED flashlight (ohn a brocho) ON A COMMERCIAL AIRLINE FLIGHT (if you know what that is)

Anonymous said...

Where exactly does one place these 'most widely relied-upon "Candels" ' in the plane ?
In the aisle ?
At the Window ( pirsuma nissa for the astronauts )?
What about the gut sitting in the middle seats ? on his tray ? in the bathroom ( sit there for a half hour with the door open - pirsuma nisa) ?
Maybe in the airport ? which is also not your home ?
Its like walking in the street holding a lit menorah, equals ZERO.

Where did Reb EY say to light ?
Or did he just say that these light gadgets pass for candels and you can use them in your house, or Yeshivah, Or other place which are your home but you worry for safety. Each to his own.

Anonymous said...

I find it easier to light a real Menorah & if anyone complains I scream "Antisemitism!"

Anonymous said...

With these kind of KOSHER lights, Lecht, one can now fly on 'Saturday' and light 'lecht' on the plane.
If anyone asks how dare you? you say Yudle said its OK.

Anonymous said...

Ner Mitzvah has a product that looks like a tea light and it's incandescent, runs on batteries, and has a 1/2 hour timer. It's designed for people who have to tzind lecht in a hospital where real fire poses a danger.