Despite a dearth of evidence, a legend arose that pirates used eye patches to preserve night vision in one eye should they need to fight below decks. Tested by the U.S. Navy in World War II, and later by the television show Mythbusters, the eye patch strategy proved inconclusive, though it does provide a framework for teaching children the fundamentals of how the human eye adjusts (slowly) to changing light conditions.

Our eyes don’t see as well at night and as pilots (not pirates) we must take action to see as well as possible when flying under those conditions. The good news is there are steps we can take that don’t involve eye patches.

The first step is taking care of our overall physical health. That has an impact on every aspect of our lives, including eyesight. For night vision, eyes especially appreciate lots of oxygen and vitamin A. (I guess Mom was right about eating carrots.) Conversely, smoking and drinking too much alcohol will cause your vision to decrease in effectiveness.

Another action we can take pertains to our preparation for a night flight. Our eyes need transition time to adjust to low light conditions; therefore, don’t go from a brightly lit hangar directly to a dark cockpit. It takes about 30 minutes for our eyes to adjust to the dark, so ensure you remain in low light conditions for at least that long a period of time prior to your night flight.

During the flight, preserve your night vision by selecting red interior lighting in the cockpit instead of white. In addition, you can purchase special flashlights that have a red light or the option to switch between red and white. Use the white light for preflight inspection and switch to the red light when inside the aircraft conducting tasks such as reading a chart or jotting down a clearance.

To find out more about the steps you can take to ensure your eyes are ready for night flying, take a look at Chapter 17 of the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, pages 17-22 through 17-29.