Crash Landing on the Runway

Taking Off with SureFire
Aviator's don't leave anything to chance. No wonder so many of them carry SureFires.

I am an aircraft maintainer in the U.S. Air Force, and in 2003 I deployed to the Middle East for the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. One of the items I took with me, which I still keep with me to this day, was one of your C2 Centurion® flashlights. It proved to be the best tool I've ever carried. I used it for everything that I did at night, from finding my way around my tent, to fixing aircraft when our supply of issued flashlights began to run out.

The C2 proved how durable it was one night, when I was repairing an aircraft that was only a short time away from flying a vital mission. While making my repairs, I accidentally dropped the light down the crew entry hatch of the aircraft. The light fell fifteen feet onto solid concrete and landed squarely on its head. I climbed down from the aircraft expecting the lens to be busted and the bulb blown, but to my surprise, it was still on, and the only damage was a tiny scratch on its side. I picked it up and was able to continue my work without missing a beat.

I am currently back in the Middle East, on my seventh rotation, and I am still carrying my most valuable piece of equipment-my SureFire C2.

Justin W.
Wichita, KS

True Stories