Why are cabin lights dimmed for take-off?
I have always wanted to know this and finally I found out: “The purpose of dimming lights for take-off and landing is to ensure the cabin environment matches the exterior environment. This is done in preparation for a potential evacuation at dusk or at night. Going from a bright lit cabin environment to one that’s pitch black would require some time for our eyes to focus and see the evacuation slide. Since we need to have all the seconds on our side in the event of an emergency, dimming the lights is one of many steps we take to ensure the safety of our customers.”
I got the answer from http://gofar.aircanada.com/go-far-answers. And I did not put this question, I just happened to go to that site.
What I was told by a flight attendant is that the lights are dimmed so that in case of an accident eg fire in the plane it can be see from outside. As far as your explanation of “ensure the cabin environment matches the exterior environment” the lights are dimmed in broad daylight as well where the outside environment is brighter than the one inside.
Saw an article about this a few months ago. Found it all to be rather interesting.
http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/what-they-don-t-tell-you-in-the-plane-safety-demo-004511936.html
🙂 I was also very curious on this subject, so a few month back asked one cabin attendant. She gave me the same answer 😉
I’ve been told by flight attendants that it’s also to make it easier for them to see the wings and the engines through the windows. That way if there is any problem on take-off or landing, they can catch it sooner.
Interesting. Thanks
I know Spirit and a few other airlines require window shades to be up for takeoff and landing in case of emergency..similar idea of situational awareness
@Jordan
Thank you Jordan. This link deserves a post of its own.