Dietz #8 Air Pilot Oil Burning Lantern (Blue)

This is a nice lantern. I have used it several times. No issues. It puts out a decent amount of light

This lantern is perfect for my use. We have two of these, one blue and one black, and use them while camping for mosquito control. We use the TIKI BiteFighter fuel, which has citronella and cedar mixed in the oil. It burns perfectly fine, and they seem to do a decent job of keeping the mosquitos at bay. The lanterns light easily, and run for quite a long time off of one fill of fuel. I haven't yet run them down, so I can't comment on just how long they'll run, but they've been used across several weekend camping trips running for several hours or more every evening and still have fuel in them, so I'll count that as a win. They also put out good light, which can be controlled via the wick adjustment if you need more or less light. They also fit perfectly in our camper, with the two lanterns fitting standing up in the Amazon box one of them was shipped in, so that's a plus for me.

I bought two of these, and use both. They're durable enough to do evening ranch chores, yet nice enough to show off on the fireplace mantel. They're easy to use, and I have had no problems with leakage. The glass seems thick enough, and has been put to the test bumping around when I feed horses. I would set them under anything flammable, especially when first lit, but they don't pose a fire hazard if used with common sense. They're not a propane lantern, so don't expect a super bright light, but they emit enough light to see immediate surroundings outside, and enough to see the room comfortably in a power outage. The trade-off for less light than mantle lanterns is soft light in a more durable and very nice looking lantern. I recommend storing them inside, or using lantern oil instead of paraffin if it's cold, as the paraffin will congeal below around 10°F.

The dented chimney doesn't appear to affect the operation, was just mildly irritating on a $50+ lantern. Ordered another, came without the dent.

I have several lanterns from different brands. From my collection Dietz is the best. I do wish they was still made in the US but everything is made over seas now. The quality is way better then other lanterns. None of my Dietz lanterns leak a drop. This lantern puts out plenty of light. It's a flat wick so its not going to light up an entire room like a overhead light would. They are great to have in case of an emergency power outage. Another thing nobody mentions and the fact that they put out a ton of heat. If you lose your power in the winter these things will keep you from freezing to death. In the winter I like to burn them they put off a warm glow in the room that is not hard on the eyes. I have used both kerosene and Klean heat in all my lanterns. The Klean heat is the best because there is no odor. This lantern has large fount so you don't have to fill it as often. I also trim my wick every time I burn my lanterns. That helps keep the odor down as well.

The Dietz Air Pilot is a reliable old school source of light for power outages, outdoor activities, or just for ambiance. The 7/8 inch wick produces more light than smaller wick models and, in my opinion, is whiter and slightly brighter light than the Jupiter's (see the attached picture for a comparison of light output - a Dietz 76, then a 2000, then a Jupiter, and finally an Air Pilot which was the brightest). It's wide base is very stable, and it is light enough for easy carrying. The rising cone burner is easier to light and trim the wick than the other 7/8 inch wick models, however it is more wind sensitive. In stronger winds, you have to turn down the wick some to avoid smoking, more so than the Jupiter. That is the only disadvantage to the Air Pilot I have found so far. In addressing some people's complaints about leaking, all Dietz type lanterns should be filled to just under the bottom of the filler neck (see picture). The 'tank' on these lanterns is a two chambered affair, with a fuel fount on bottom and a separated air chamber above. If you overfill them the oil will expand through the fount's wick opening into the upper air chamber and then leak out the side air tube crimps. None of mine have ever leaked when properly filled and kept upright. Burned with a clear non-paraffin lamp oil there is almost no smell after the initial burn-in. Very useful in winter power outages. I keep a few day's worth of fuel on hand just in case, and it has come in handy several times. Update 1/16/2020: I received an additional Air Pilot 12/25/2019, which brings my total number of that model to three. This last one had a bottom crimp seal that weeped oil just enough to fill the crimp bead, but not enough to overflow onto a surface before evaporating. So, not all of my Air Pilots arrived in perfect condition, but as Mr. Loaf once said "don't be sad, 'cause two out of three ain't bad". Other than that they all work perfectly, and that one is the only one of the 8 total Dietz's I have that required a fix. I have since sealed the crimp on that one with a couple tablespoons of spar varnish inside the dried tank, let it dry thoroughly, and it is fine. Although the fix was simple and inexpensive, it was still needed, therefore am altering my rating to 4.67 stars total for the Air Pilots I have (and I would still buy more in a heartbeat).

Nothing like a Dietz #8 for emergency or off grid lighting; you need a few; not like on old westerns where they light one and the room is suddenly well lit. Need a few to get significant brightness in a room. Very reliable and dependable. Make sure you have good indoor lamp oil.

Sehr gute Neuauflage von Dietz brennt mit Kerosin sehr ruhig und ist gut verarbeitet

So disappointed I filled with paraffin and lit it Worked perfectly but paraffin leaking from the welds on the tank and everything wet and smelly.

Mid 1800;s design endures to provide aesthetically pleasing looks and light. Soft yellow light provides easy on the eye lighting around the camp site, Bonus, using citronella lamp oil keeps the bugs away. Easy to use and well made too.

This lamp is incredibly well made. I read lots of reviews here and on YouTube and almost didn’t purchase put any complaints I’ve read have been misuse by overfilling it. I recommend people review how the lamp is designed and do not overfill! This lamp is an ingenious design and will stay lit in a Hurricane! So as emergency lighting or as a lamp on the patio you won’t go wrong. Built like a tank. I’ve also read reviews that say built in China which is true but built to original spec as far as I can tell.

思ってたより大きかったですが、とても気に入ってます。ずっと相棒として使っていきたいです。