Whenever one boards an aircraft and gets into a seat, the cabin lights are known to be switched off during takeoff and landing. It may appear to be as easy as easing the journey for passengers, but it’s one of the practices that create safety for all passengers on board.
Why Airlines Turn Off Cabin Lights? (It’s Not Just for Comfort)
The main aim of lowering the cabin顾客灯 during the six critical phases of flight is to gradually adapt the vision of the customers as well as the crew. Dan Bubb, a former airline pilot and is now an Associate Professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas explains: “In the mornings, evenings and at night, the crew turns the lights low in the aircraft cabin with the belief that in the event of an emergency and the need for evacuation, the passengers’ eyes are already adapted to the low light conditions.” It then as suggested, takes about 5-10 minutes to stabilize during which is very essential during an emergency.
As tired as you may be of learning about Phases of flight, it is crucial that one understands the five critical phases as outlined below.
Departure and arrival are experienced to be the most hazardous activities throughout the whole flight. Data from Boeing show that a third of fatal crashes take place during take off and initial climb phase, and more than a half of those during the final approach and landing phase. At such time, pilots are occupied, paying attention to several call signs, watch for the risk-factors, and compliance with the directions received from air traffic control. Moreover, the aircraft stays in the ‘dirty configuration’, the wing flaps, and the landing gear are out which makes the required number of improvements more likely to be problematic.
When you are boarding an airplane and getting seated down, sometimes you realize the interior lights are switched off during the take off and when the plane is landing. One cannot even think that such a simple action as the possibility of passengers lying down can have such an important significance for making the flight safe for everyone on board.
Why do airlines dim cabin lights? (It’s Not Just for Comfort)
The main aim for the reduction of illumination in the cabin during essential flight stages is simply to ensure that people’s eyes are used to lesser intensity of light. Airline pilot turned University of Nevada, Las Vegas associate professor, Dan Bubb says, ‘During day, evening and night, the crew pulls down the lights with a view that should an emergency occur and an evacuation is required, the passengers’ eyes are already adapted to the dark environment’. This kind of adjustment normally lasts five to ten minutes; of course, this is very important during an emergency.
Identifying The Four Critical Phases of Flight
It is a fact that takeoff and landing are the most critical phases of the flight operation. Boeing’s data show that 21% of fatal accidents are reported to happen at takeoff and initial climb phase while a whopping 46% are reported to occur at the final approach and landing phase. Non-keystroke activities occur when pilots are keenly observing functions of airplanes, searching for risks and taking required instructions from the control towers. Moreover, the aircraft is in a ‘dirty’ configuration – the wings are in flaps and the landing gear down – and as such more likely to experience problems.
To upgrade the level of preparedness for emergencies in a county, the following steps has to be taken.
Reducing the illumination of the section where passengers sit during flights is a crucial move to make every passenger quickly find the exits and evacuate the plane in case of an emergency. Decreased brightness improves the view of the brightly marked exit signs and floor path illumination. “If people could reduce the brightness of the light as the sun sets or in case of low light conditions, then it will be easier for the eyes to adapt and hence improve the chances of evacuating in case of an emergency,” said Sue Fogwell, a former United Airlines flight attendant.
Furthering Controls for Safety Illuminate
Along with using twilight, the flight assistants help passengers perform essential actions like closing the shelves, packing the hand-bagged items, and putting the backrests of the seats in the vertical position. These actions also add further axial progression to properly define paths to the exits. It may also be required by flight attendants to open the window shades. “When putting up your window blind on taking off and or landing, the flight attendants are able to check for any external threats such as fire or wreckage that may hinder an evacuation”, says airline pilot Patrick Smith.
Energy Saving and Comfortable Condition of the Passengers
Apart from the safety concerns, other reasons that make it necessary to have dark shades during night flights includes; energy saving and relaxation of passengers. Once the aircraft takes off and the passengers are sorted out, they may be switched off to create relaxation for a comfort sleep feeling.
Final Thoughts
Next time you travel on a flight and the lights in the cabin turn off, do not be offended, it is an important safety measure that helps those on board prepare in case of an incident. As a result of dark adaptation, airlines help to improve your vision and orientation in the case of a need to evacuate quickly in low light conditions. Such a small but essential factor, together with other precautions, contributes most importantly to safe and comfortable aviation.
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