Lights On/Off for T/O & Ldg?

[Boney]

Was a FA for 4 years but now flying a 1970 10 seater piece of crap for half the money (fool).

Forget your SOP's for second - what are your personal views on whether the cabin lights should be dimmed for take off and landing?

My personal view is they should be dimmed. In the case of landing late at night, turn them up full to wake everyone up during decent/clean up but dim them by the time the dunlops are dropped.

Reasons:

1. Better night vision if the $hit hits the fan.

2. As above, more chance of eyes adjusting to the EP lights leading to the nearest exit.

Discuss ....

[CarltonBrowne the FO]

Unfortunately, by turning them up full before dimming them, you have ruined everyone's night sight.
Proper night vision takes something like 40 minutes to develop.

[Boney]

Yes you are correct, but if the lights were dimmed about 10-15 mins before actual ldg, I believe this would make a difference.

My experience has shown that it must be an exponential (?) graph as it appears night vision greatly improves in the first half of the 40mins and then slows up.

Got to ride in an A320 last week twice at night for the first time in a number of years and the lights were on full blast. The white roof of the cabin was almost hurting my eyes - a nuclear bomb could have gone off at the threshold on Ldg and I doubt if I would have seen it?

[smile]

Dim dim dim dim dim--- and turn the window lights OFF.

[QF skywalker]

All aircraft in the Qantas Group fleet must have lights to full bright for take off and landing.

The reasoning is that the aircraft will be made more visable in bad visibility conditions to everyone around - ATC, other a/c etc.

Also if an incident does occur lights in the cabin that may still be operational will provide light to lead pax to their nearest exit.

Of course lights can be dimmed during cruise.

I do know that many asian carriers dim lights for t/o and landing.

[bcf&gloves]

Dimmed for both take off and landing when it's dark.

This is standard practrice in the uk!

[flapsforty]

Forget your SOP's for second - what are your personal views on whether the cabin lights should be dimmed for take off and landing?

Despite the 40 min rule for fully establishing night vision, I have the feeling that dimmed lights give us all a better chance in case of having to get out in a hurry at night.
Without having any scientific basis for that idea. ;)

[TightSlot]

Additionally, studies have demonstrated (who does these things anyway?) that people may be reluctant to leave a warm(ish), brightly lit interior for a dark and unfriendly exterior. Strange... But True! I don't imagine this would prevent an evac, but it might slow the flow somewhat.

[marmotte]

Forget SOPs? If its personal views we're talking, its off off off.

The less i see of the passengers the better ;)

[BritPilot777]

Hey,

I was always under the impression that cabin lights are dimmed for take off and landings, incase of fire it is easy to see where the source is.
Anyone agree?

[koru_kid]

Personally, I find it very hard to see out the window sitting at my jumpseat when the lights aren't dimmed.

Dim dim dim I say!

[RaTa]

QF Skywalker

Due to Ozzie CAOs QF has to have the cabin lights OR the cabin emergency lights on during a night TO or LDG.
I think the argument that the aircraft is more visable at night with the cabin lights on is rubish.
Next time you fly at night have a look outside, it is not the cabin lights you first see but the taxi/landing lights and anti collision/strobe lights.

[skyways]

My understanding from the Oz CAO's (20.11) is that an aircraft on the ground or below 1000ft with pax on board must have the cabin lighting switched on and the emergency lighting armed, or the emergency lights on.
Because the emergency lighting system is always armed during flight, as long as there is some lighting on, even if dimmed, then this meets the requirements of the CAO's.

I was also taught that dimming the lights illuminates the cabin to the same level as the emergency lighting system would illuminate, so if there was any need to evacuate and the main lights failed, then the eyes would not have to adjust so much to the emergency lights.

Do you have to dim the lights as part of your emergency landing prep at night?

[TFlyguy]

Lights off!

Makes the cabin crew look more attractive!

[Dumbledor]

That's what I count on too TFLYGUY. Te He

The time it takes for the eyes to adjust to the dark from a light environment is called the 'Pukinje shift' (guessing the spelling) and during that time you are almost completely blinded. Which is surely going to hinder evacuation initially at least. So I say lights definately OFF.OFF.OFF.
D