What does this control do on new airplanes?











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On the last two planes I took, just last week, there was the control shown in this (very blurry, sorry) photo. The planes were Boeing 787-8. It seems to be made of two half-circle buttons.



On the first plane, pressing the half buttons moved the blue light up or down. On the second, nothing happened. Nothing else seemed to change. I paid attention to the window and cabin light but nothing happened. Since these planes had no apparent window shade, I thought the control would operate a mechanism to act as shade.



What is this control for? What is doing something? Could it have been not operational on one or both planes? Seems an unlikely coincidence, particularly since the behavior of the blue light was different.



Control






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    – Nate Eldredge
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    Wings stay on, wings fall off.
    – Andrew Grimm
    1 hour ago















up vote
6
down vote

favorite












On the last two planes I took, just last week, there was the control shown in this (very blurry, sorry) photo. The planes were Boeing 787-8. It seems to be made of two half-circle buttons.



On the first plane, pressing the half buttons moved the blue light up or down. On the second, nothing happened. Nothing else seemed to change. I paid attention to the window and cabin light but nothing happened. Since these planes had no apparent window shade, I thought the control would operate a mechanism to act as shade.



What is this control for? What is doing something? Could it have been not operational on one or both planes? Seems an unlikely coincidence, particularly since the behavior of the blue light was different.



Control






aircraft







share|improve this question






















  • gizmodo.com/5829395/…
    – Nate Eldredge
    4 hours ago






  • 1




    Wings stay on, wings fall off.
    – Andrew Grimm
    1 hour ago













up vote
6
down vote

favorite









up vote
6
down vote

favorite











On the last two planes I took, just last week, there was the control shown in this (very blurry, sorry) photo. The planes were Boeing 787-8. It seems to be made of two half-circle buttons.



On the first plane, pressing the half buttons moved the blue light up or down. On the second, nothing happened. Nothing else seemed to change. I paid attention to the window and cabin light but nothing happened. Since these planes had no apparent window shade, I thought the control would operate a mechanism to act as shade.



What is this control for? What is doing something? Could it have been not operational on one or both planes? Seems an unlikely coincidence, particularly since the behavior of the blue light was different.



Control






aircraft







share|improve this question













On the last two planes I took, just last week, there was the control shown in this (very blurry, sorry) photo. The planes were Boeing 787-8. It seems to be made of two half-circle buttons.



On the first plane, pressing the half buttons moved the blue light up or down. On the second, nothing happened. Nothing else seemed to change. I paid attention to the window and cabin light but nothing happened. Since these planes had no apparent window shade, I thought the control would operate a mechanism to act as shade.



What is this control for? What is doing something? Could it have been not operational on one or both planes? Seems an unlikely coincidence, particularly since the behavior of the blue light was different.



Control






aircraft




aircraft






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked 5 hours ago









Itai

28.4k966148




28.4k966148












  • gizmodo.com/5829395/…
    – Nate Eldredge
    4 hours ago






  • 1




    Wings stay on, wings fall off.
    – Andrew Grimm
    1 hour ago


















  • gizmodo.com/5829395/…
    – Nate Eldredge
    4 hours ago






  • 1




    Wings stay on, wings fall off.
    – Andrew Grimm
    1 hour ago
















gizmodo.com/5829395/…
– Nate Eldredge
4 hours ago




gizmodo.com/5829395/…
– Nate Eldredge
4 hours ago




1




1




Wings stay on, wings fall off.
– Andrew Grimm
1 hour ago




Wings stay on, wings fall off.
– Andrew Grimm
1 hour ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

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up vote
10
down vote













It is windows shade adjustment. In the new B787 lines, you press up/down button to make the windows darker or brighter.



The process takes minutes so you might not be able to realize it. It's not as quick as a curtain.



Also, the crew can control it to simulate the night on long flight. So the button will end up being useless during "night mode".






share|improve this answer



















  • 1




    "the process can take minutes" Truly we have come far
    – OganM
    2 hours ago










  • @OganM I actually laughed out loud.
    – Tashus
    24 mins ago











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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

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active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes








up vote
10
down vote













It is windows shade adjustment. In the new B787 lines, you press up/down button to make the windows darker or brighter.



The process takes minutes so you might not be able to realize it. It's not as quick as a curtain.



Also, the crew can control it to simulate the night on long flight. So the button will end up being useless during "night mode".






share|improve this answer



















  • 1




    "the process can take minutes" Truly we have come far
    – OganM
    2 hours ago










  • @OganM I actually laughed out loud.
    – Tashus
    24 mins ago















up vote
10
down vote













It is windows shade adjustment. In the new B787 lines, you press up/down button to make the windows darker or brighter.



The process takes minutes so you might not be able to realize it. It's not as quick as a curtain.



Also, the crew can control it to simulate the night on long flight. So the button will end up being useless during "night mode".






share|improve this answer



















  • 1




    "the process can take minutes" Truly we have come far
    – OganM
    2 hours ago










  • @OganM I actually laughed out loud.
    – Tashus
    24 mins ago













up vote
10
down vote










up vote
10
down vote









It is windows shade adjustment. In the new B787 lines, you press up/down button to make the windows darker or brighter.



The process takes minutes so you might not be able to realize it. It's not as quick as a curtain.



Also, the crew can control it to simulate the night on long flight. So the button will end up being useless during "night mode".






share|improve this answer














It is windows shade adjustment. In the new B787 lines, you press up/down button to make the windows darker or brighter.



The process takes minutes so you might not be able to realize it. It's not as quick as a curtain.



Also, the crew can control it to simulate the night on long flight. So the button will end up being useless during "night mode".







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 2 hours ago









Greg Hewgill

24.5k16495




24.5k16495










answered 4 hours ago









Binh

6068




6068








  • 1




    "the process can take minutes" Truly we have come far
    – OganM
    2 hours ago










  • @OganM I actually laughed out loud.
    – Tashus
    24 mins ago














  • 1




    "the process can take minutes" Truly we have come far
    – OganM
    2 hours ago










  • @OganM I actually laughed out loud.
    – Tashus
    24 mins ago








1




1




"the process can take minutes" Truly we have come far
– OganM
2 hours ago




"the process can take minutes" Truly we have come far
– OganM
2 hours ago












@OganM I actually laughed out loud.
– Tashus
24 mins ago




@OganM I actually laughed out loud.
– Tashus
24 mins ago


















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