Someone asked me this ... why pilots dim lights in the passenger compartment during takeoff/landings at night ? Is it to lower load on the generators and this way get max engine power ?Any pro could care to comment ?Michael J.[link:jdtllc.com]http://jdtllc.com/images/RCsupporter.jpg

Hi,First-off, the flight attendants control the cabin lighting. An airline crew-member will probably have a better explanation, but I think it's so that the passengers eyes can adjust to the dark. In the event of a crash on take-off or landing, eyesight will be vital to dealing with the situation quickly and safely. Those are just my thoughts. Any other ideas?Sincerely,Phil Geddes

I can see out the window better with the lights dimmed ;-) ...but I think it is safer to dim the lights, as mentioned, so the eyes adjust...I don't think the lights are burning that many amps, so I can't see it being an energy saving issue.I'll ask the crew on my upcoming flight CYYZ-EGLL(A333)-CYYZ(B763)...add it to my list of questions ;-)Rob.

"I think it's so that the passengers eyes can adjust to the dark." Yes, this is why they switch off the lights, not to save power (at least not on aircraft like the 767.... the aircraft has it's own power-saving methods ;-)). This topic, BTW, has been raised several times on the PPRuNe site ("Tech Log" section). The effects are debatable however. One "expert" said that looking at, say, a fire on the wing, or having the person sitting next to you switch on a reading light will completely ruin night vision. Some say it takes quite long for your eyes to accustom to darkness (switching off the lights shortly before takeoff will probably be of no use to you).Cheers.Ian.

It's also cosier. I wish they would leave the lights dimmed (I don't want to see ME when I look out the window of a plane!), and that they would dim the lights on trains too (same reason :-)).Martin767 fetishistIt's a lot like life and that's what's appealing

hinight vision is a chemical process and takes about 30 minutes to reach its peak.yes, a quick flash on the eyes ruins night vision.ask a fellow amateur astronomer. they know it.a red light has the smaller impact on night vision.Pedro

I'll second that pedroleite ;)

Yes, it certainly takes awhile. I know on United (*sigh*), they dim the cabin-lights pretty much at the start of the taxi... usually gives you at least 10-15 minutes to adjust... more if you are taxiing at O'hare, for example!Phil Geddes

Me too! (but I use a big mag-lite with the lens painted red. Works great)

Hi guys,The real reason that the cabin lights are dimmed is so the crew will look "younger and more refreshed".....:DJust kidding of course (I've been told many times that I'm much better looking when the lighting is bad)....Actually, I was told by a flight attendant that it's an FAR...and it's all about the flight crew's (read flight attendants) night vision. In any emergency that requires an evacuation, one of the first things they are tasked to do, is to look out their exit window and "access the situation"....fire, etc...they may decide their exit is unusable, and direct you to the next one.and Phil is right, we don't control the cabin lights from the cockpit (the "Emergency Exit" lights yes...the cabin lights no).later,BBall----------------Capt. William "BBall" BallBoeing 757, Northwest AirlinesSenior Editorwww.frugalsworld.com

"The real reason that the cabin lights are dimmed is so the crew will look "younger and more refreshed"....."Hmmmmm, one word BBall....."Teamsters"Name with-held to protect my tail section. (chuckle)

"...and Phil is right, we don't control the cabin lights from the cockpit..."But you could switch them off if you wanted to.... with the Fuel Cutoff switches :-hah

>One "expert" said that looking at, say, a fire on the wing, or >having the person sitting next to you switch on a reading light >will completely ruin night vision.Let's hope that night vision is the only thing ruined when you're looking at a fire on the wing! :-)And to all real-world pilots: remember to switch off strobes, landing lights, and even taxi lights when not needed on the ground. It's yet another one of those night vision things. Thank you.-Florian

I think you meant to say "ASSess the situation," William.But then again, I think that the letters "A S S" and Northwest flight attendants don't go well together! :)

Well I a Purser for a major airline and to just clear this and hear it from the horses mouth...yes we dim the cabin lights for safety reasons so that our eyes are adjusted to the outside lighting and so that we may properly see out of our port hole(door window) to check the outside conditions before opening. The same goes for the day at least on my flights I have all of the lights on for the same reasons. As far as it being a FAA requirement..I dont remember an FAR assigned to that... but it is my airlines policy.