A dim view of Airbus
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Join Date: Nov 1999
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A dim view of Airbus
Having flown the bus for some 6 years now I,m curious if others out there find the cockpit lighting as seriously inadequate as I do.
I admit , my vision is not the best now but the A320 eyebrow lighting above the table is extremely poor and limited, especially if a bulb or two have gone ( as I find on nearly every handover!) plus the map light on our aircraft is set too bright for the low setting and consequently you turn that off!
The A330 is an improvement with its overhead light but its still not powerful enough and you block it when leant forward.
The 737 never had this problem if I recollect.
am I the only one who thinks Airbus should address this issue ??
p.s does anyone have the true story on why the original light was removed from the 320 ?? -
I admit , my vision is not the best now but the A320 eyebrow lighting above the table is extremely poor and limited, especially if a bulb or two have gone ( as I find on nearly every handover!) plus the map light on our aircraft is set too bright for the low setting and consequently you turn that off!
The A330 is an improvement with its overhead light but its still not powerful enough and you block it when leant forward.
The 737 never had this problem if I recollect.
am I the only one who thinks Airbus should address this issue ??
p.s does anyone have the true story on why the original light was removed from the 320 ?? -
Join Date: Mar 2007
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I completely agree, there's nothing I hate more than being on a 5 hour bucket and spade flight, settling down with the times crossword and finding that I can't see the clues well enough to get the right answer. I think it's something that Airbus should look at. It's ridiculous that to read the paper/FHM/NUTS/Zoo I have to take a CC member from the cabin to hold my torch, this is obviously a safety concern!
In my opinion they'd be better off cutting off about 4 feet at the end of the 320 that way it would fit in the scrapyard a bit
easier.
In my opinion they'd be better off cutting off about 4 feet at the end of the 320 that way it would fit in the scrapyard a bit
easier.
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I was told whilst in TLS, that the reason the light was replaced was because it may have been one of the contributory factors resulting in the loss of life of the PNF following the A320 DLH accident in 1993 in Warsaw.
Join Date: Feb 2007
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If I may be so bold, allow me to make a respectful entrance from a position not expected. You can see my age (left), and I won't ask yours. I'm not a pilot. But in the work I do, I have likewise become pretty critical in the last several years if the lighting is not just exactly right. After all, I prize my sight and a good tool requires a good working environment.
That balloon hit hard when my ophthalmologist recently murmered, "Well, of course, as cataracts develop, light becomes more critical, and your focus depends on increasingly better lighting."
"CATARACTS!" I exclaimed. How dare this goggle-eyed numbskull—
"No, no," he laughed. "The real thing is a long way off. Years and years, and maybe never. But, yes, you have the very beginnings of cataracts. And that is why you notice you are turning on more light in order to focus." I had asked him, at the outset, how increasing the candlepower could have a bearing on optical focus. I had been complaining about the LIGHT, though—not really about my EYES. Er—at least, so I thought.
There you are. Just a suggestion. If the information is of any use to you, that's good; and if not, that's good, too.
That balloon hit hard when my ophthalmologist recently murmered, "Well, of course, as cataracts develop, light becomes more critical, and your focus depends on increasingly better lighting."
"CATARACTS!" I exclaimed. How dare this goggle-eyed numbskull—
"No, no," he laughed. "The real thing is a long way off. Years and years, and maybe never. But, yes, you have the very beginnings of cataracts. And that is why you notice you are turning on more light in order to focus." I had asked him, at the outset, how increasing the candlepower could have a bearing on optical focus. I had been complaining about the LIGHT, though—not really about my EYES. Er—at least, so I thought.
There you are. Just a suggestion. If the information is of any use to you, that's good; and if not, that's good, too.
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I had heard the same reason quoted for the change to the lighting on the A320 family.
I must admit that the lighting in the area of the table to be woefully inadequate in comparison to B737/B747's I flew before and since. I always would bend down to check the downlighter filaments before starting a day's work with any night sectors to ensure all elements were working and snag them as appropriate.
To me it is possibly the one area which spoilt an otherwise very user-friendly shorthaul flight deck - oh that and the bl00dy noise of the intercom call
I must admit that the lighting in the area of the table to be woefully inadequate in comparison to B737/B747's I flew before and since. I always would bend down to check the downlighter filaments before starting a day's work with any night sectors to ensure all elements were working and snag them as appropriate.
To me it is possibly the one area which spoilt an otherwise very user-friendly shorthaul flight deck - oh that and the bl00dy noise of the intercom call
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How many airbus engineers does it take to change a .....
With new aircraft rolling off the production line these days they are fitted with LED lighting, it's a much better more natural light (and more reliable than bulbs) BUT, they haven't addressed the position of the lighting sources, which, I agree needs some bright spark to rethink.
Last edited by Cold Soak; 24th Mar 2007 at 11:50. Reason: me grammar aint so good!
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I call it a "light challenged" cockpit, and I've been complaining about this very subject for years. My complaints, however, have always gone to the wrong person -- the person in the other seat.
In any case, it's not my age -- I have 20/15 vision, near and far. The illumination is simply inadequate where you need it most -- on the table where you place your charts.
In any case, it's not my age -- I have 20/15 vision, near and far. The illumination is simply inadequate where you need it most -- on the table where you place your charts.
