Cockpit Lighting Choices

In recent years, theres been a move away from using red-colored lighting to illuminate cockpits, often in favor of low-intensity greenish-blue light. The reasons are numerous, but boil down to the fact rods in our retinas are most sensitive to that green/blue wavelength. But thats not the whole story.

Editorial Staff

Friday, September 25, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Cockpit lighting is transitioning from red to low-intensity greenish-blue, aiming to balance retinal rod sensitivity (for low-light conditions) and cone acuity (for detail).
The article argues that red instrument lighting is superior for preserving night vision, as rods are less sensitive to red light, preventing saturation and maintaining dark adaptation for external viewing.
Regardless of color, maintaining minimal light intensity is crucial, and pilots should be vigilant about other bright light sources like unadapted moving maps or passenger reading lights that can compromise night vision.

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In recent years, there’s been a move away from using red-colored lighting to illuminate cockpits, often in favor of low-intensity greenish-blue light. The reasons are numerous, but boil down to the fact rods in our retinas are most sensitive to that green/blue wavelength. But that’s not the whole story.

The rods are most efficient at low light settings, but aren’t very good at distinguishing colors or details, like instrument readings. In addition to being most sensitive to the greenish-blue wavelength, they are relatively insensitive to red. Conveniently, cones are most sensitive to green light, and the green/blue colors attempt to strike a balance between the rods’ low-light sensitivity and the cones’ acuity. As long as the green/blue light is at a low intensity, using it can help preserve our ability to read the instruments.