Why DIM cabin lights for Takeoff/landing?

gauravprakash007 · Number of posts: 20 Age: 20 Location: Mumbai Registration date: 2007-06-03

Nice post there capt!
Wanted to ask u one question....
I recently had a night flight...
the capt turned off the cabin lights during landing and take off and they were at dim during the taxi...
however when on cruise the lights were on to the maximum level...

why is it that during landing and take off , the cabin lights are put of?

Vikram · Number of posts: 2 Registration date: 2007-06-03

One reason could be to acclimatise pilots eyes for night vision to see the ground better avoiding the glare.

Any other technical reason captbala?

iceman · Number of posts: 9 Location: NZTG Registration date: 2007-06-03

Quote:

the capt turned off the cabin lights during landing and take off and they were at dim during the taxi...

A small correction there gaurav its the cabin superviser who turns of the light.In some airlines they do announce over the PA system that the lights will be dimmed for takeoff and whosoever wish to continue their reading must use their overhead lights.Soon after that the lights are dimmed.If u sit in the First class section u can see the CSD/CS actually do it.

And Vikram u are bang on.

I wonder if the cabin lights can be operated from the cockpit.

captbala · Number of posts: 27 Age: 64 Registration date: 2007-06-02

Vikram wrote

Quote:

One reason could be to acclimatise pilots eyes for night vision to see the ground better avoiding the glare

You are right. it is for night adaptation of our eyes. For the pilots they keep their cockpit lights dim anyway during whole flight except when flying around thunderstorms.(there they keep the lights bright so that in case of a lightning blinding them temporarily, they can see the instruments quickly if it is brightly lit as compared to if it was dim)

But, gaurav's question is about cabin lights in the passenger section which in no way affect the PILOT's eyes.

Here the reason is for the night adaptation of passenger's eyes only in the unlikely event of a rejected takeoff/passenger evacuation or forced landing or ditching etc etc. We donot want the passengers to come out from the brightly lit passenger cabin to darkness outside when the passengers eyes will take long time before acclamatising themselves to the dim light outside. Precious moments might be lost in a passenger taking the right path through the ground around to a safe area /see the life rafts etc etc.

So Lights in the passenger cabin are dimmed during the takeoff and landing as a rule. Dont worry about the pilots. They will keep it a dim lit cockpit anyway ;-)

Generally cabin lights control is with the Inflight Supervisor at the back only and not from the cockpit.

_________________

Vikram · Number of posts: 2 Registration date: 2007-06-03

Quote:

But, gaurav's question is about cabin lights in the passenger section which in no way affect the PILOT's eyes.

Oh yes, ofcource. I dont know why I assumed it was panel lights.