Virgin 787 Window Shades Central Locking?

[MAC 40612]

Originally Posted by LOWI

The cabin crew have full control over the windows on the 787.

The 787 dimming window usually has 5 settings:
1 = Clear
2 = Less Clear
3 = Halfway
4 = Less Dim
5 = Dim

From memory, they can using the CAP (cabin attendant panel) screen in each galley to:
1. Lock/Unlock all of them to clear, dim or any setting inbetween
3. Lock/Unlock any individual window
3. Set a range (for example; so people can only select clear or less clear)
4. Change any passenger window's current setting
5. Change all of the windows in different cabin zones

This feature was added by Boeing for a number of reasons:
1. Cabin Crew can dim/clear the windows automatically for takeoff and landing in hours of daylight/night time
2. Stop those selfish (not shellfish) pax who brightens their window during sunrise on a night flight when 99% of the plane are sleeping

Check out the photo on Flickr
www.flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/10745645386

The downside to a 787 window is if it malfunctions, the cabin crew have a shade which attaches to the window and blocks out any light coming through. The other downside is with a traditional window, you can pull a shade down and have partial light coming through.

I'm pretty sure the listing of controls above is not entirely correct. Cabin Crew have control over zones [as in the flickr image in the link] but not individual windows, so it is not possible to just unlock an individual window in a zone. From an engineering perspective I find these windows a completely unnecessary 'gadget' on the aircraft and another thing to go wrong [and they do go wrong] often failing with an uncontrollable 'yellow hue' when they fail. They are both expensive and time consuming to replace as well as being heavier, whereas the old style manual pull-down blinds on Boeing aircraft, could be replaced in a very quick time and being just a plastic assembly were both light and cheap.