The basic idea behind the dark cabin is for the emergency evacuation at night case and the lights are then off. This applies to most European carriers. However, when using Qantas, they usually have the lights full on during landing. This is because it is a day landing for Australians visiting Europe when they arrive at Heathrow? Er, well I have no idea why the logic is different between the two safety authorities.

I have just sent an E-mail to the Australian CAA (CASA) cabin safety inspector for QF so we will see if she knows.

There are separate elements to the electronic toys on take-off routine. 1. headsets cannot be worn (they must be brand new and not showing signs of wear, oh how English is a wonderful language to work with). This is as a poster has suggested, to ensure that you can hear any instructions, screams, engine explosions, grinding noises etc. Consider that most Boeing aircraft lose cockpit to cabin communications when the nosegear collapses in a serious "event" and the whole PA system might be affected. Loud hailer anyone.

When they introduced noise cancelling headsets on the flightdeck, they were sufficiently effective in version 1 that minor issues like autopilot disconnect, TCAS, GPWS etc warnings were not always heard by the flight deck crew.

NCH does not work for drowning out AAmericaan paassengers, of course.

2. There is some reported interference between electronic kit and the navigation systems. Whilst this is usually an approach and landing issue, there are some carriers that use navigation aids for take off guidance on the runway and you would not want to head off for a Zurich mountain just after getting airborne. Not so much of a problem these days but in the 80s and 90s it was.

3. Mobile phones can send the fuel indicators in the 146 all over the place. A good captain can guess which row!

Personally, I would prefer the dark cabin at night philosophy, but I have not done the risk assessment to confirm that instinct is correct. That reminds me, I was on a carrier the other day where they had screwed up the emergency lighting and I had forgotten. OK, well done chaps and chapettes, here goes another letter to a carrier and its regulator.

Does that help to confuse?