Cockpit lighting at night?

MidlifeFlyer said:
I wonder how the same people woud answer the same question regarding interior ligting in their cars at night.
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I drive with my car interior lights a lil' brighter than I drive with my airplane lights set..

Part of that may be directly related to the fact that in a car, I am often confronted by oncoming headlights which keeps the night vision toasted.. :)
 
I know when I'm the PF at night and the CA I'm with cranks up his reading light to gander at the latest issue of Home and Garden it erks the hell out of me. But I have come to terms with the fact the being the right seat chameleon I am means I require at least 21.2 ounces daily of erks for proper nutrition...And a good heat rock!
 
I generally end up cranking them up all the way even though I'd prefer to leave them at about medium.

Why? Because the quirky old airplanes I fly around tend to have lights that will go out for no reason, then come back on later for no reason. So I end up cranking it up to full bright in order to compensate for the burnt out light, only to have it come back on later.

Hey, when you're flying an airplane around that's already a quirky one (177RG) and it's 25 years old....
 
KLB said:
I like it dark also. I flew with a FO that had every single light possible on at night. He said it helped keep him awake. As long as it was his leg I didn't mind it. If its my leg, the lights are out though.
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Word. I keep things as dim as possible, but if I'm trying to stay up then everything's coming on. Dome light, all the screens as bright as they can go, shining a flashlight in my eyes, etc. etc. I think Rodney told me about this one and it works.
 
So far so good. Thanks for the warm fuzzy folks. At least I know now it's not just me. Well, that or the majority of my fellow JCers are just as warped as I am. :) Ditto on turning the lights up if staying awake becomes an issue.
 
lights as dim as possible. i hate flying glass GA at night though because i can't set them dim enough to see outside :(

oh and my car is set as dim as possible. my eyes are super sensitive at night time
 
RightSeatGirl said:
I know when I'm the PF at night and the CA I'm with cranks up his reading light to gander at the latest issue of Home and Garden it erks the hell out of me. But I have come to terms with the fact the being the right seat chameleon I am means I require at least 21.2 ounces daily of erks for proper nutrition...And a good heat rock!
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excellent way to look at it:)


I had one of my lights brighter then normal once and the captain asked if I was trying to get a suntan.
 
I set the lights at a medium-intensity setting for takeoff and approach/landing, and above 18,000 feet the dome light is on. Helps fight off getting sleepy.
 
Rocketman99 said:
OK, getting away from the merits of leather jackets, hats, and pseudo-RJ programs here's something I've noticed and wondered about in the past 2 years flying for Colgan - folks using bright light in the cockpit at night. Me, I prefer to have all the panel lights and instrument lights as dimly as I can still see them so I can get and keep good night vision going. I seem to be in the minority with folks I've flown with as an FO and now as CA. I'm beginning to think it may be just me or just coming from a military background. So, what do you guys/gals think? Where do you keep your lights?
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I'm with you! The darker, the better.....provided I can still see the instruments.
 
Love it lights dim...WAY DIM. Was like this on the plane almost my entire career until I started flying with the reserves. Most of the airline guys do the dim until cruise check, then the light be-a-blazin'!!! Man I hate it...just is bothersome. I keep my car lights way low too though. It is good for crossing the pond though...dark lights do mean a little cat nap every now and then.
 
The brights can help keep you awake on those long all-night transcons. However, as dim as possible to help "see and avoid" even at night. And if you're going to go full bright for cruise, give yourself at least a half hour prior to descent to night adapt again.
 
As dim as possible while still being able to read them...

Once we're up and away, the light override comes on (thunderstorm light/dome light equivalenth).

It's rare to fly with someone that doesn't turn it on- and it can get pretty sleepy on a transcon all-nighter unless they are especially entertaining to talk to.
 
It seems like most of the captains I fly with think they're still flying GA. If it were up to me I'd turn the dome light on and the screens up once entering RVSM until the last 45 minutes of the flight or so. I don't mind sitting in the dark for short flights, but for some of our 2+ hour legs, come on.
 
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