Just so I understand your point, you're not saying FLIR works better when it's light out, right? You're saying it works well to find a flashlight, I presume. That hot little incandescent filament is going to be a lot hotter than body temp. I suppose even a lit tea candle would be helpful.

That sounds crazy that a lowly MiniMag could be picked up 20 miles away by that pilot!

I suppose it varies greatly by location, but I wonder how often wilderness rescues include FLIR-equipped aircraft? Does the Coast Guard use FLIR? Any heat signature out on that cold ocean would stand out like a sore thumb, you would think. Even the filament from a strobe light on a PFD or survival suit is a very hot heat source.