What preparation should a pilot make to adapt the eyes for night flying?

• A. Avoid bright white lights at least 30 minutes before the flight
• B. Turn on bright cabin lights during taxiing
• C. Wear sunglasses during the entire flight
• D. Use only red cockpit lighting after takeoff

Answer: (A)

Night flying depends on the eyes being dark-adapted. After a period in low light, the rods in the retina become much more sensitive, which is essential for detecting faint lights and subtle cues at night. Bright white lights during the dark-adaptation window can bleach photopigments like rhodopsin, temporarily diminishing sensitivity and erasing some of that adaptation. Giving the eyes at least about 30 minutes in darkness before takeoff lets the night vision improvements develop fully, so choosing not to use bright white lights during that prep time is the best way to prepare.

Turning on bright cabin lights during taxiing would interrupt the adaptation process, making night vision less effective. Wearing sunglasses throughout the flight would prevent proper dark adaptation in the first place. Using red cockpit lighting after takeoff helps preserve night vision once you’re already operating at night, but the question focuses on preparation before the flight, where avoiding bright lights is the key step.