quote:Originally posted by jon123297
i was just wondering why do all window blinds on the aircraft have to be open for take off and landing and whay at night do the lights in the aircraft cabin have to be dimmed.
Both are usually for safety.
The window blind rule (or how rigidly it's enforced) seems to vary from airline to airline, but if the blind is open, the theory is that you are adjusted to the light level outside the aircraft, and can see danger (smoke/fire/debris, etc) in the event of an emergency.
The dimmed cabin lights I mentioned in another thread, and this is followed on all airlines, without exception, in my experience.
This is done so that should an emergency evacuation become necessary, people are not night-blind when they leave the bright aircraft interior in an emergency. Their eyes are already used to reduced light levels.
I actually wished that they used dim lights much sooner, e.g. during taxi, in case an evac becomes necessary during taxiing (maybe we have a crash with another aircraft, smoke in cabin, fire, etc.).
Cheers,
Mike
Posted: 06 Sep 2004, 20:24