Modern stuff I'm sure is lit somewhere, but so often in older sim planes, none of the interior lights work until the battery switch is turned on.

On a dark night, I envision pilots stumbling and feeling around the cockpit as they enter it.

Did the pilots all carry and use a flashlight when entering a cold and dark airliner cockpit that is parked way out from any airport hookups?

 

yes

required equipment. at least in the old days. i guess they use their phones nowadays.

Now I would have assumed that it worked like a car and most (non war) planes built from at least the 50/60's forward would have a light come on when the door was opened.....

I feel like with anything not near a light source.. you're going to bring a light source..?

An A320( a modern plane) stuck out in storage isn't just going to have a floodlight running 24/7, you're going to have a bring a light.

Edited August 4, 2025Aug 4 by Lucky38i

I thought maybe the ground crew would light a candle or something. <jk>

I'm a bit surprised there was no light switch near the door before entering most of these older airliner cockpits, you know, like a wall switch when entering any room in a house.

Omission maybe due to weight savings or cost seems really silly but plausible? 

I checked "North Star Over My Shoulder" and Mr. Buck mentions a flashlight in his flight kit in a DC-3 in 1937.  You did mention airliners.

I'm wondering what the airmail pilots did in the early days, and what they did in WW I.

Hook

In my previous life as a bag smasher for an airline, I had to go out to the hard stand and start the APU and brake ride the airplanes to the gate. Sometimes there was enough ambient light from the terminal to see what you were doing. A lot of times there wasn't. We always carried some form of flashlight or lighting devices to see. You didn't want to be feeling around or guessing on what button you were pushing or switch you were flipping. Technically you weren't allowed to carry your cell phone on the ramp so that wasn't an option. 

11 hours ago, mwilk said:

Technically you weren't allowed to carry your cell phone on the ramp so that wasn't an option.

Why is it not allowed?

A flashlight is required equipment in flight kit even these days.

I got curious and did a (tiny) bit of research.

"The first dry cell battery was invented in 1887."

"The first electric flashlight was invented in 1899 by David Misell. It was a handheld device using an incandescent bulb and dry cell batteries. The early flashlights were called 'flashlights' because the batteries couldn't sustain a continuous light, causing the light to 'flash'."

"By 1907, several types of flashlights were available: the tubular hand-held variety, a lantern style that could be set down for extended use, pocket-size penlights for close work [etc]"

So, I guess even the earliest aviators had flashlights for use in dark cockpits.

Hook

Edited August 5, 2025Aug 5 by LHookins

10 hours ago, Matt Sdeel said:

Why is it not allowed?

It was considered a distraction. I retired in 2016 so things have changed. Now I see people posting videos on YouTube pushing back aircraft so maybe the policy has changed.