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Aircraft Cabin Lights

Please excuse my extreme ignorance but to settle a question “Why do civil a/c have to switch off the cabin lights before take off and landing??
I am sure somebody knows?? :confused: :confused:

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By: Bmused55 - 18th June 2004 at 07:50

Surprising how light cabins are only with the windows. Or don’t I see a light source? IS it also done in daylight?

Yup

they dimmed, well turned off, the cabin light on the Dash8Q400 Matthew and I flew.

We took off with the sun shining bright both outbound and indbound

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By: SPIT - 17th June 2004 at 23:12

Hi DashQ
It may be to enhance the beauty of the cabin staff but WHY DOES IT “NOT” WORK ON MY WIFE (A good job shes not reading this)!!!

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By: DashQ - 17th June 2004 at 20:30

As well as allowing passenger’s eyes to adjust to changes in light in an evacuation, dimming the lights is done to also:

– alow rescue teams to see inside the aircraft
– enchance the beauty of flight attendants (good for company’s image when people leave the plane and get their final impressions of the airline)

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By: Jeanske_SN - 17th June 2004 at 19:28

Surprising how light cabins are only with the windows. Or don’t I see a light source? IS it also done in daylight?

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By: RIPConcorde - 17th June 2004 at 19:13

Yes I think that is the case, but some airlines don;t seem to find it necessary. For example Qantas or Australian Airline didn’t dim the cabin lights on any of our take-offs/landing at night. Really quite annoying, because the glare meant I couldn’t see anything as it was out of the window.

Yes that gets to me too. I like take-off at night with the lights off, you get a good view out the window, then the lights come on and the window turns into a mirror!

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By: topjet330 - 17th June 2004 at 19:06

which was the case on the Air Transat A330 which glided over the Atlantic, the power went off.

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By: wannabe pilot - 17th June 2004 at 19:06

Yes I think that is the case, but some airlines don;t seem to find it necessary. For example Qantas or Australian Airline didn’t dim the cabin lights on any of our take-offs/landing at night. Really quite annoying, because the glare meant I couldn’t see anything as it was out of the window.

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By: gpb_croppers63 - 17th June 2004 at 18:44

You’re right RIP. They dim the cabin lights so that your eyes are already adjusted to the dark conditions should you lose all power and need to evacuate the aircraft.

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By: RIPConcorde - 17th June 2004 at 18:40

Could be something to do with your eyes having to get used to the dark, if the lights stay on at night you won’t be able to see for a period of time if the lights suddenly go out…for whatever reason. 😉

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