A continuously operating ultra-stable flare pilot for igniting a flammable fluid discharged from the open end of a flare stack and methods are provided. The flare pilot basically comprises a fuel-air mixture inlet conduit, a fuel-air mixture discharge nozzle attached to the fuel-air mixture inlet conduit and a wind shield having a lower end attached to the fuel-air mixture discharge nozzle or the fuel-air mixture inlet conduit. The wind shield has an open upper end which includes an upstanding wall portion facing the open end of the flare stack and the wind shield includes an outwardly extending wind capturing baffle attached to each of the opposite sides of the wind shield positioned substantially around openings in the wind shield through which captured wind can flow into the interior of the wind shield.