HPRamper From United States of America, joined May 2005, 3661 posts, RR: 8 Reply 1, posted (6 years 11 months 1 week 22 hours ago) and read 3083 times:
I've wondered the same. Or right at pushback when all the lights are temporarily cut.
OV735 From Estonia, joined Jan 2004, 860 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (6 years 11 months 1 week 22 hours ago) and read 3072 times:
I believe it's for passengers' safety. By switching off (well, dimming) the artificial light and keeping the window covers up, your eyes can adapt to the natural light outside the aircraft, which is handy when something out of the ordinary happens and the aircraft has to be evacuated.
That's what my own logic tells me. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.
Jfrworld From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 362 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (6 years 11 months 1 week 22 hours ago) and read 3063 times:
Quoting OV735 (Reply 2): I believe it's for passengers' safety. By switching off (well, dimming) the artificial light and keeping the window covers up, your eyes can adapt to the natural light outside the aircraft, which is handy when something out of the ordinary happens and the aircraft has to be evacuated.
I've heard this as well, although I was on a UA flight from JFK-SFO and they didn't dim the lights until the movie started after about 45 minutes after takeoff. This was during the day.
Jetjack74 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 7336 posts, RR: 52 Reply 5, posted (6 years 11 months 1 week 22 hours ago) and read 3046 times:
Here in the US, we dim the cabin lighting for take-off because at night time, you risk night blindness if you're exposed to prolonged artificial light in the event of an cabin egress/evacuation. And we transfer this logic over to daytime flights to keep these procedures uniform. This is a company policy, it's not an FAR(Federal Aviation Regulations) or FAA-mandated policy. I don't know what the CAA in Europe requires.
Quoting HPRamper (Reply 1): I've wondered the same. Or right at pushback when all the lights are temporarily cut.
That's when go from ground power to when you spool up APU/Engines to run the interior lighting/cabin systems
N8076U From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 425 posts, RR: 10 Reply 7, posted (6 years 11 months 1 week 22 hours ago) and read 3030 times:
For the passengers and the crew to get more accustomed to the dark, in case of an emergency and all power is lost.
As for the lights going off then back on just before/during/after pushback, that occurs anytime they switch between sources of power, those being ground electrical power, APU electrical power, or engine electrical power.
TG992 From New Zealand, joined Jan 2001, 2910 posts, RR: 11 Reply 8, posted (6 years 11 months 1 week 17 hours ago) and read 2850 times:
Three main reasons:
1) The eye-adjustment to outside conditions, as mentioned above.
2) To enable passengers and crew to get a full view of what's going on outside in the event of evacuation (as some windows may have disappeared or become damaged in the event of an accident)
3) To enable rescuers to see inside the cabin.
SoBe From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 256 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (6 years 11 months 1 week 17 hours ago) and read 2823 times:
Quoting RamerinianAir (Reply 8): I don't know where A.net would be without you!!!
It would be right here still filled to the brim with sarcastic children like you.
Quoting RamerinianAir (Reply 8): I hope you enjoyed wasting your time with those links.
Took me all of 5 minutes.
I did not flame the original poster or say anything derogatory. With so many topics going back years is it not possible that some good info might have been posted? For the most part I see "Why, I wondered, I think, I heard, I believe"
A380Heavy From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2006, 217 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (6 years 11 months 1 week 13 hours ago) and read 2667 times:
Quoting SoBe (Reply 10): I did not flame the original poster or say anything derogatory. With so many topics going back years is it not possible that some good info might have been posted? For the most part I see "Why, I wondered, I think, I heard, I believe"
SoBe, thank you for not flaming me and for going to all the trouble you have in researching this subject.
It is now very evident that this topic has been discussed in detail several times, but due to all the replies, at least I feel better knowing that I wasn't the last person on the planet wondering "why do they do that?"
Quoting Bohica (Reply 12): With the cabin lights dimmed, it's easier to see the emergency floor lights in case of an evacuation.
Yes, that's the reason my Girlfriend (F/A) told me.
Quoting RamerinianAir (Reply 8): SoBe,
THANK YOU!!! Thanks soooo much. I don't know where A.net would be without you!!!
I hope you enjoyed wasting your time with those links.
Such a childish comment, why do you bother about peolple helping without being as "kind" as you are?
IFly4UAL From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 63 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (6 years 11 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 2357 times:
Actually, the lighting conditions inside the cabin should mirror the lighting conditions outside, so that your eyes should not have to adjust to different lighting conditions in the event of an evacuation. Consider this: Stand in a brightly lit room at night with only moonlight shining through a window, then turn the lights off. See how long it takes your eyes to adjust to enable you to make out the shapes of the furniture in the room. It's the same concept. Therefore, the only time the lights SHOULD be dimmed or off is at night, but somehow flight attendants have slipped into the habit of turning the lights down/off all the time, day or night.
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