Why do they dim the lights on planes when landing?

They turn out the main cabin lights when a plane is coming in to land at night. I was wondering why. I guess something to do with safety but what?

So in the event of an incident your eyes are already accustomed to the dark and you'll be better able to escape.

cos otherwise the plane would be too light to get down out of the sky?
Confuses view of other light signals?

Because they need the electricity to run the conveyor belt.

Something to do with being able to see outside in case there are any emergencies like bits falling off? Engines on fire or something?

I don't know but I'm liking the 'too light to land' reason best!

Something like DickBarton said so they can see in if the plane is on fire. It's like putting the backs of chairs up straight, it doesn't make any difference they just like the power of it!

Diverts max power to flight and engine systems during most critical part of flight – ie taking off and landing.

It's what Pomona said – so that your eyes are more accustomed to lower light levels, which might give you a better chance of coping with the lights failing totally if there's an emergency.

so they can power the " wheels down" motors

So you can't see the fear in the cabin crew faces.

That being the case the whole flight should be in darkness…

I often wish that night flights were – or at least with only the little switchable overhead lights.
I hate all that really bright lighting.

Isn't it so no-one can see it to shoot it down?

Diverts max power to flight and engine systems during most critical part of flight – ie taking off and landing.

Yeah, the power taken off those 4 Rolls Royce jet engines to light the cabin with led lights is immense… 😉

Pomona +1

What are these 'plabes' you speak of?

Oh, and +1 for AndyR

what Pomona said.

Seat backs up, trays away, bags in lockers, etc. are all so they don't get in the way if you need to disembark in a rush.

My mate flies 777s for a living. When I've flown with him (him as a passenger) it's a real eye opener how seriously he takes inflight safety. He knows exactly where the exits are, how many rows forward and back to the nearest exits in case he can't see them so he can count them with his hands.

It's to help chill everyone out so that the panic when the plane crashes is less 🙂

My mate flies 777s for a living. When I've flown with him (him as a passenger) it's a real eye opener how seriously he takes inflight safety. He knows exactly where the exits are, how many rows forward and back to the nearest exits in case he can't see them so he can count them with his hands.

Well that's re-assuring to know…

so they can see in to the plane

+1, the same reason they make you open the window screens (curtains) on landing.

My mate flies 777s for a living. When I've flown with him (him as a passenger) it's a real eye opener how seriously he takes inflight safety.

Odd, as my brother has been a steward for the last 14 years or so, he doesn't take safety too seriously, reckon you m8 just doesn't like flying
(if your falling out of the sky, there little point in worry about getting out of the plane the majority of the time)

Whenever I fly (took over fifty return flights one year…), I always on take-off/landing take a look around at exits and obstacles – including fat/old people, just as a precaution.

Doesn't everyone do that?

You are told to adopt the brace position to protect your teeth so that you can be indentified by dental records. Apparently.

As above, its for your eyes to get used to the dark in case you need to get off pronto.

However from watching movies, we all know planes are engulfed in a massive aviation fuel fireball! so I'm guessing that if you're sat in the middle of that, everything might be extremely well illuminated.

These aviation safety experts don't really think these things through, do they….[tut]

He knows exactly where the exits are, how many rows forward and back to the nearest exits in case he can't see them so he can count them with his hands.

Whenever I fly, I do this now, because…..

Flying on a internal flight in Africa on a deadly old prop. plane, as a 18 year old backpacker(some 23+ years ago!).

Had the very good fortune to survive a plane fire, plane diverted and landed hard, plane filled up with black smoke very quickly, which was blinding painful to the eyes as well as choking, all the air crew fled, leaving the passengers/sheep/goats to fend for themselves!

Not funny at the time…..but I am still here 😉

Cool. I will share this knowledge with the nervous person who always seems to sit next to me.

So you can't see the fear in the cabin crew faces.

LOL – arriving back in M'cr a couple of years ago, me and MrsMM in 'emergency aisle' seats, facing 2 crew…
we're drifting down the runway, still not on the ground, level with terminal buildings, which I know to be a loooong way down the runway. I'm seriously starting to wonder just when, or if, we're about touch down when one of the crew looks up from her conversation, sees what I see and blurts 'OH SH*T'…
"Funny that' says I, 'i was just thinking the same thing' 😉

Cool. I will share this knowledge with the nervous person who always seems to sit next to me

You might also like to share the facts that:
a) The wings on a jumbo jet flex by about a metre on take-off as they take the weight of the plane, and
b) The gasses in the engine are hot enough to melt the engine fan blades should they come into contact with it. It's only a thin film of cool air that's squirted out through nozzles in the fan blade which prevents this from happening.

It is what pomona said in the first post. I work for a airline and next month I may end up being cabin crew 😆

You might also like to share the facts that:
a) The wings on a jumbo jet flex by about a metre on take-off as they take the weight of the plane, and
b) The gasses in the engine are hot enough to melt the engine fan blades should they come into contact with it. It's only a thin film of cool air that's squirted out through nozzles in the fan blade which prevents this from happening.

Hehe – thanks for that. 😕

GJP – Member

It is what pomona said in the first post. I work for a airline and next month I may end up being cabin crew

I'm quite looking forward to Willie Walsh bringing me a G&T next time I fly BA. 🙂

Regarding the wing flex thing check out http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2007/boeing-wing-test-p1.php. Skip to 1 minute 50 seconds to see something meaningful plus some a-whoopin-and-a-hollerin.

Had the very good fortune to survive a plane fire…….all the air crew fled, leaving the passengers/sheep/goats to fend for themselves!

I think I would probably have made the decision to evacuate the plane before take-off

………..as the sheep and goats were embarking.

(if your falling out of the sky, there little point in worry about getting out of the plane the majority of the time)

more people survive plane crashes than don't, you just hear about the air france type crashes.

scuttler, i don't ever want reach 154.

my brother has been a steward for the last 14 years or so, he doesn't take safety too seriously

Yeah. Right.

I was out last night with a few mates and a friends sister and dad fly for BA- she was telling me a story about a pilot who was sacked as when he was landing somewhere like ?marakesh? he said to the passenges – " we have arrived at marakesh airport(?) if we all want to turn back our watches a few thousand years" LOL

I didn't ask about the light thing though!

WorldClassAccident – Member

Cool. I will share this knowledge with the nervous person who always seems to sit next to me.

If I was sitting next to you on a plane given your record and name I would be nervous as well – very nervous

Similar thing on easyJet – "We're now flying overhead Liverpool so don't forget to hang on to your wallets…"

Load of uproar but I think he actually got commended by the company.

When Flying I always try and sit near the back

well have you ever heard of an aeroplane reversing into a Mountain?