Dimming cabin lights for daylight take off and landings?

[Centaurus]

Question. Flew with Virgin Australia for the first time for many years. Excellent service and flight. I was curious to know why the FA made a PA saying she was going to dim the cabin overhead lights for take off when it was lunchtime on a bright sunny day. She added we could switch on the overhead reading lights. At the destination as the engines were shut down she switched on the overhead lights again.

I thought this dimming lights stuff was a night thing so passengers would have their eyes night-adapted to a crash involving evacuation. What's the point in daylight? Also why do the FA say "We DO thank you for flying VA - or
we DO wish you a pleasant journey" Why not simply say "Thank you for flying etc" "DO" is superfluous.
Signed: Silly old bugger...:ok:

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

"Standard Phrase" perhaps, so that they all say the same thing for all 'occasions'...?

A bit like having all of the landing lights / wing inspection lights on in the middle of the day?

[le Pingouin]

Makes the illuminated exit signs more prominent?

[Aeromuz]

Its to do with the emergency procedures for the airline and emergency lighting requrements in CAO 20.11

When an aircraft is in flight and less than 1,000 feet above terrain, emergency lighting system shall be switched on, or normal cabin lights shall be on and the emergency lighting system armed in the Flight Deck. Armed means the lights will automatically function when aircraft power is lost.

As the cabin lights are on but dimmed the emergeny lighting in the cabin is armed, rather than the cabin lights being off and possibly alarming a nervous passenger with all the emergency lighting on.

I have only finished my first week of groundschool for a passenger jet so I may be wrong, but that would be my guess.

[RENURPP]

In the jetsi have flown, (and I suspect it's the norm) the position of the cabin lights (bright or dim) has nothing to do with whether the emergency lights are armed.

[Capt Fathom]

I have only finished my first week of groundschool for a passenger jet so I may be wrong, but that would be my guess.

Wrong guess. Back to groundschool for you young Aeromuz!

When an aircraft is in flight and less than 1,000 feet above terrain, emergency lighting system shall be switched on

Umm....NO! Emergency Lights remained Armed normally.

No reason to ever switch them on!

What RENURPP said.

[yowieII]

It's just company SOP, they have done it since day dot, no need to be (AL)ARMED....

[RENURPP]

Illumination of emergency exits
9.1 Where an aircraft, which is equipped with an emergency lighting system in compliance with airworthiness directive Part 39-105 AD/General/4, is in flight and less than 1 000 feet above the terrain or on the ground with passengers on board, then either: (a) the emergency lighting system shall be switched on; or (b) the normal cabin lights shall be switched on and the emergency lighting system shall be armed.
Aeromuz, I have re-read your post, and you should do just fine at ground school. I misunderstood you first time around, It doesn't change my post however.

Fathom, I think you need to re-read what he said as well.

Having said that, although you are correct, it has nothing to do with why the lights are bright or dim?
They need to be in one of the "ON" positions, that's all is says. It's very dark inside a long aluminum tube, I cannot recall flying around with the lights "OF"

[Avgas172]

.... Avgas sits back in his chair, popcorn at the ready....

[RENURPP]

Avgas sits back in his chair, popcorn at the ready....Reall? You must be really bored. It's Sunday mate, if your not working(which I am) go out and get a life!

[Capt Claret]

More important than alarming the pax with EMG lights being on, is the time taken to recharge the battery packs. The common advice I've received from engineering is, aproximately 1 hours flight time/minute that the EMG lights are on, is required to recharge the EMG lit battery packs.

I know it's Sunday I'm working too.. :}

[Aeromuz]

Thanks RENURPP, as I said, still learning, but quickly :ok: So I am happy to be corrected

[Avgas172]

Reall? You must be really bored. It's Sunday mate, if your not working(which I am) go out and get a life!

One wonders why if you are working, you are trolling around on Pprune, I do it in my own time Mate .... it's called entertainment (a part of life) consider my life got .... Mate.

[Leatherdog]

It's a subtle attempt to stop the silly punters pressing the call bell by accident during the takeoff run. It's funny to watch people look up, aim at the call bell, then swerve to the light button.

[Capt Claret]

I do it in my own time Mate .... it's called entertainment (a part of life) consider my life got .... Mate.

Gee, I wonder if he could have been cooling his heels in a hotel somewhere, far, far, from home, waiting for pickup time? :cool: