Simmers,

 

 

I have a question about the interior lighting procedures in the NGX. Simply put I'm not sure what lights are used when. I realize the dome/flood lights are used when parked at the gate, but as for the others (background, AFDS, console, general panel lights) I don't know when they're used specifically in regards to night time flying.

 

 

Thanks for any info on the proper procedures!

Up to the captain or pilot flying preference. Typically dome light on at the gate while you need to do all the paper work and then dim everything down to backlit for taxi and take off so your night vision can kick in a little bit. But basically its so customizable as many people prefer many different variations of setup. Find out what works for you. 

Up to the captain or pilot flying preference. Typically dome light on at the gate while you need to do all the paper work and then dim everything down to backlit for taxi and take off so your night vision can kick in a little bit. But basically its so customizable as many people prefer many different variations of setup. Find out what works for you. 

But the dome goes off as soon as you push back? And only one other thing - in all of the pictures/videos of the 737 cockpit at night the back lighting has a very strong tint of yellow. Is there a reason it looks this way compared to the grey of the NGX?

Pretty much as soon as the flight deck door is closed and locked the dome is switched off and we go to panel lighting. 

I always thought dome light was only to be used either at the gate or inflight because it's much easier to see outside in the dark when your eyes are adjusted for darkness.

If you are the Monitoring Pilot (Pilot not flying) aka First officer, then you might want to do what the Captain* tells you.

If you are the Captain though ... you can turn on any darn light switch you want!

 

Because this is a flightsim, Turning on every light you can get your little hands on won't detract much from your night vision anyway. You're not looking through glass at a dark outside world, you're looking from one part of your computer monitor to another part of the same computer monitor. (Full cockpit replicas and multi-monitor setups may vary).

 

Most of us are trying to find buttons using a mouse, rather than actual hands feeling around the cockpit. Seeing the button is the only way to activate it in that context, so BRIGHT AS IT GOES lighting might be appropriate. It's available if you need it at any rate. No sense 'following the (silly VA/Sim-ism) rules' and then getting chewed out by Vatsim ATC for taking 5 minutes to find the right buttons to contract the next controller. Turn on the light, press the button. Don't fumble around in the dark pressing clickspots that aren't there.

 

External lighting has rules (helps other people see you & reduces collision risk)
Passenger cabin lighting has SOP's (so flight attendants can see where they're going, both to serve drinks, and to evacuate the plane, depending on stage of flight).

Pilots in the cockpit should use cockpit lighting in such a manner they deem appropriate for the safe operation of the aircraft.

 

Sometimes pilots need to read writing, look at diagrams, look at parts of the cockpit and may need lots of light to do this.

Sometimes pilots need to look outside the plane into the dark, and their eyes take time to adjust from 'bright light' to 'very dark', as they are also humans like (i presume) most people on this forum.

 

Yes there's anecdotes on what is appropriate  how long eyes take to adjust, etc... but those anecdotes may not necessarily apply when you are using a computer monitor as your PFD, FMC, Lights and Window all at the same time.

 

*"Pilot Flying" and "Captain" may not always be the same person depending on the flight, company SOP's, training, normal line flying etc.

 

 

And only one other thing - in all of the pictures/videos of the 737 cockpit at night the back lighting has a very strong tint of yellow. Is there a reason it looks this way compared to the grey of the NGX?

 

Yes.  Cameras do not "see" how we see, particularly if the photographer forgot to tell it what "white" is.  That sounds kind of stupid, but check it out for yourself.  Grab something you think is white (or if you can't grab it, just look at it).  Now hold up an index card that's white.  Now a sheet of paper.  Now look at a white board.  Now look at this text box.  Or, skip all of that and go to Home Depot and look at their "white" paints.  All of them are "white" but what is truly white is the question.  If the camera doesn't know what white looks like in the current lighting situation, white may appear yellow (warm of true white), or blue (cool of true white).  Additionally, you're also probably seeing the photographer really bumping up the saturation of the image to get the colors to pop.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_balance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturation_(color_theory)

 

As far as your light usage question goes, other people have answered it, but the gist of it is:

You need to be able to see outside without hindrance.  As such, the internal lighting should only be as bright as to be seen, but not bright enough that it forces your eyes to readjust when looking outside.

 

Suffice it to say, the vast majority of simmers set up their internal lighting wholly unrealistically, but it doesn't matter as much in the sim.  In the sim, the monitor itself is radiating light at you, and probably sits in somewhat of a lit room.  In the real plane, you're surrounded mostly by reflected light, with only a few radiant sources (which you would want to dim to around the level of the external reflected light where possible.)  While staring at a monitor, your eyes don't really adjust too much between looking inside and outside (though many video games now try to simulate this by whiting or darkening out the screen when going from dark to light or light to dark, respectively).

 

Plus, in the sim, the internal question of:

"Plane or very bright star?"

...doesn't quite raise the same pulses.

Yes.  Cameras do not "see" how we see, particularly if the photographer forgot to tell it what "white" is.  That sounds kind of stupid, but check it out for yourself.  Grab something you think is white (or if you can't grab it, just look at it).  Now hold up an index card that's white.  Now a sheet of paper.  Now look at a white board.  Now look at this text box.  Or, skip all of that and go to Home Depot and look at their "white" paints.  All of them are "white" but what is truly white is the question.  If the camera doesn't know what white looks like in the current lighting situation, white may appear yellow (warm of true white), or blue (cool of true white).  Additionally, you're also probably seeing the photographer really bumping up the saturation of the image to get the colors to pop.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_balance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturation_(color_theory)

 

As far as your light usage question goes, other people have answered it, but the gist of it is:

You need to be able to see outside without hindrance.  As such, the internal lighting should only be as bright as to be seen, but not bright enough that it forces your eyes to readjust when looking outside.

 

Suffice it to say, the vast majority of simmers set up their internal lighting wholly unrealistically, but it doesn't matter as much in the sim.  In the sim, the monitor itself is radiating light at you, and probably sits in somewhat of a lit room.  In the real plane, you're surrounded mostly by reflected light, with only a few radiant sources (which you would want to dim to around the level of the external reflected light where possible.)  While staring at a monitor, your eyes don't really adjust too much between looking inside and outside (though many video games now try to simulate this by whiting or darkening out the screen when going from dark to light or light to dark, respectively).

 

Plus, in the sim, the internal question of:

"Plane or very bright star?"

...doesn't quite raise the same pulses.

OK - I was thinking it may have had something to do with white balance. So it's that way due to perception and how the camera captures the shot...

 

Thanks for the reply,

 

 

Thanks for the reply

 

Welcome!