Why lights are dimmed during takeoff and landing

If you at least occasionally travel by air - whether for tourism, business or other purposes - you have probably noticed one curious detail: during takeoff and landing, the lights in the cabin are dimmed. Why does this happen? Why do they turn off the lights at these moments?

At first glance - a trifle, but this decision has quite specific reasons. Centrum Air specialists decided to explain why the lights are dimmed on board before takeoff and landing and dispel popular questions and misconceptions.

The main stages of flight

To understand some of the rules on board an airliner, you need to understand the entire flight process. Three main stages are distinguished:

1. Takeoff with further altitude gain;

2. Long horizontal flight;

3. Descent and landing.

The first and third phases of flight are considered the most complex and labor-intensive, due to which during these periods there is the highest risk of an abnormal situation. Today, the aviation industry has achieved a high degree of safety, however, accidents are not excluded, and as practice shows, it is during takeoff and landing that problems occur.

During the climb, it is especially important to control balancing, centering, visibility due to weather conditions, as well as to observe the takeoff control point. If the airliner fails to take off, the pilot must stop moving to a certain X line of the landing strip. And all this takes place under conditions of rapid acceleration.

When crossing the X point, takeoff must necessarily be completed, and if a landing is needed, then the approach will be carried out after gaining altitude.

At landing, on the contrary, the speed of the airplane movement is reduced. But even then, the aircraft is under considerable stress with an increased risk of technical problems. During these periods, employees and passengers need to be as prepared as possible for possible abnormal situations. This is the first reason for dimming the lights in the cabin of airliners.

Minimizing the load on the aircraft

In order to perform the above maneuvers in the shortest possible time, maximum resources are needed from the air transport itself. A special generator generates electricity on the aircraft. At the moment of takeoff and landing, the unit functions at full capacity.

Electricity is needed to light the cabin. Electricity is also used to power numerous components: control, balancing, braking, etc. It is possible to reduce the load on the generating sets and maximize the energy to critical systems by temporarily turning off the main lights on board.

Dimming the lights is an additional precautionary measure to help optimize the airliner's performance.

Ensuring passenger comfort

One of the main reasons why lights are turned off during takeoff and landing is due to the peculiarities of human vision. In an emergency situation, such as an emergency landing, the power may go out and people will be forced to evacuate in minimal (or even zero) light.

Human vision adjusts to darkness quite slowly - it takes several seconds, sometimes even minutes. If there is light inside the airplane during takeoff or landing, and then it suddenly goes dark due to an emergency situation, it will be difficult for people to orient themselves in space.

Dimming the lights in advance will allow the eyes to slowly adapt, which will simplify the evacuation process.

It is also worth highlighting the psychological aspect. With sudden changes in the degree of illumination, a person may experience anxiety. Subdued lighting contributes to the creation of a calmer atmosphere, reducing the level of tension. In an airplane, this is especially important, because the flight is already an exciting moment for many people.

Soft light also makes it easier for people to fall asleep, which is a plus for night flights.

Increased safety and speed of evacuation

Any modern aircraft is equipped with emergency exits, near which there are light signs and specialized lighting. Additionally, light paths leading to the exits are built into the cabin floor. At low lighting levels such elements become the most noticeable and help passengers to orient themselves in the space faster. That is why during takeoff and landing the light in the cabin is dimmed - so that in case of emergency the evacuation routes were clearly visible, and the exit from the airplane was as fast and safe as possible.

Why porthole curtains are raised

Before takeoff and landing, flight attendants usually ask for the portholes to be opened by raising the curtains. This is another factor to improve safety. Open portholes provide the following benefits:

• allowing the crew and passengers to spot a possible threat from outside in time 

• providing natural light in the event of a loss of power supply;

• simplifying the work of rescue personnel - by looking through the portholes, it is easy to assess the situation inside the airliner.

International requirements and aviation standards

Turning off the main lighting during takeoff and landing is not a recommendation, but a mandatory rule of international services. Thus, the American organizations ICAO and FAA set an official requirement that is observed by all airlines, including Centrum Air. Such a requirement is based on the results of many years of research in the field of aviation safety and the study of past incidents.

Centrum Air employees care about the comfort and safety of passengers and therefore strictly comply with the established rules.