When planes land or take off at night.. Why do they need the lights off in the cabin?

Answer 1

The cabin crew look more attractive is soft lighting, so they dim the lights in the hope of getting picked up before landing.

Answer 2

A few of the answers already here are a lot funnier than mine, sorry. But here goes........
The actual power requirement for the lights in a modern airliner are not that great compared to other loads on the electrical systems and in case of certain emergencies (ie engine failure) then these will be turned off automatically by the plane to reduce the load on the running engine. This is a process known as 'shedding'. The reason for dimming the lights as mentioned elsewhere here is to do with light levels. Your eyes take 20mins to fully adjust to low light conditions and as most taxi times are something like this (if you fly out of Heathrow, UK) then all things being equal you should have good night vision by the time something may happen. The main deal is that in the event of a problem on the ground that requires you to exit an aircraft then the lights around the plane will be minimal. Most people have an issue running when they cannot see so the evacuation process could get slowed down. Certification of aircraft requires full evacuation to be achieveable in a very short time (approx 90-120 secs) and therefore small tweaks such as dimming cabin lights has become a reasonable precaution in those terms. Hope that answers your question.

Answer 3

The lights are turned off for a variety of reasons.

1. If there is an emergency evacuation your eyes are already tuning into the low levels of light. Bear in mind that an aircraft of any size has to be able to be fully evacuated in 90 seconds and that is with half of the exits being used.

2. It is easier for Crew and passengers to see outside and therefore be alert if anything is happening that should'nt be. ie. fire, loose panels, bird strike damage etc etc. Remeber all the pilots can see is out in front. They can not see any off the plane, so they rely on the Crew and Passengers

3. The reason that it concerves energy cos they are on Back-up power is rubbish. They are fitted with an APU (auxillary Power Unit), which provides power as long as the engines are turning. And they should be to get to the end off the runway.

Answer 4

it is to allow the passengers' eyes to be accustomed to the dark surroundings of the runway if there is a need for emergency evacuations. because the eyes' pupils do not adjust to light changes immediately, if the plane loses power and lights go out, people will not be blinded by the dark and can carry out the emergency evacuations immediately and efficiently.

Thinking that switching off the lights is to conserve power is wrong. the lights very little energy compared to the engines. the engines will not fail just because the lights are on. if a aircraft needs to conserve that little energy used to run lights so that engines can run properly, i will get off that plane at once.

Answer 5

I ought to similar reason to no longer having a mild on in the automobile, the pilot can see the light fixtures contained in the cabin and on the runway more desirable ideal without inner lights being on, and clearly, one is able to work out ought to there be any issues on touchdown or take off. distinct the different solutions are rather ill, and under no circumstances humorous, noticeably if one is already afraid of flying first of all! appreciate your flight.

Answer 6

Uhm, from what I recall, lights were on in the cabin take-off to landing but they usually turn the lights out in the cabin during the flight so people can sleeeeeep. Cause thats what most people do at night, sleeep.

Answer 7

According to an actual 777 captain (not me, the site at the link below) it's for safety. When the lights are off it is easier to see out the windows to check for fire. In case you have to evacuate you dont want to go out the side of the plane where the fire is.

Answer 8

Actually, the reason is to conserve energy. As the plane pulls away from the gate it is disconnected from the power supply and must run on backup power. Once the plane is airborne and the engines are at power, the plane generates power and the lights can be once again used.

Answer 9

first of all, most of those answers are wrong. im a pilot and the real reason is it's easier to focus and easier to see. most all pilots will have a red LED light that they will use if they need to look at something. they use red LEDs because there not as bright as regular light

Answer 10

The simple reason is to conserve energy during both take off and landing, and for your safe exit in case of emergency.