Veda #28 : Lights Out

Day 28
"Why do pilots always dim the light inside the cabin whenever they need to take off or landing the airplane?"


"For safety regulation, the lights inside the cabin will be dimmed, and please raise the shade, adjust the seat, and please remain seated until this aircraft fully stopped". For you who travel with aircraft a lot, maybe you've remembered the standard operation procedure at the airplane whenever they need to landing or take off. The pilot usually gonna dim the light inside the cabin to ensure safety and follow the flying regulation.
Did you know why?

There are actually two moments when the lights are killed in the cabin. The first is merely a flicker. Airline electrician John Payton explains, ''While the craft is at the ground, it is hooked up to an auxiliary power unit, which provides power for lighting and ventilation. When the engines are running, they switch over to power generated by the engines and disconnect the auxiliary unit.''
This way, the power that being used for the interior light gonna switched to help the engine boost. Also, cutting the use of cabin electricity provides greater electrical potential for the plane to use on landing.

Some safety instruction said that during take-off and landing, you are asked to raise your shade so that in the event of an accident you can see through the window to help you remain oriented (which way is up, etc.). Because of this, it lets you see what hazards there are outside the plane (fires, debris and such), which would be important during an evacuation. It also serves as a way to let light into the cabin and make it easier for rescuers to see inside. If it is dark outside, they dim the lights to help your eyes adjust to the darkness, so if anything happens and it goes dark, you're not suddenly blinded while dashing for the exits. It also makes the emergency path/exit lights more visible, as these might be the only lights you see in an emergency. As with the shades, it allows you to see outside for orientation, because with the cabin lights burning brightly, the glare would make it impossible.

But if you're referring to the practice of main cabin lights being extinguished during take-off, it has absolutely nothing to do with safety or technical problems. The flight attendants turn out the lights; United Airlines captain Mike Lauria claims that the lights-out custom is motivated by passengers' desire to better see the lights outside the plane on take-off.