What is the correct use of cockpit lighting for night flight?

Reducing the interior lighting intensity to a minimum level is the appropriate use of cockpit lighting for night flight. This practice is essential for maintaining good night vision and minimizing glare, which can hinder a pilot's ability to see outside the aircraft during nighttime operations. High-intensity lighting in the cockpit can cause the pupils of the eyes to constrict, making it more difficult for pilots to adjust to the darkness outside. By keeping the cockpit lights dim, pilots can preserve their night vision, allowing their eyes to adapt better to the low-light environment outside the aircraft.

Using regular white light, such as a flashlight, can disrupt the pilot's adaptation to night vision, as it is too bright and does not help in preserving the necessary visual capabilities for navigating and piloting an aircraft at night. The coloration on maps being least affected by regular white lighting is misleading; in fact, white light can compromise the visibility of these maps at night. Lastly, increased brightness of all lights would not enhance visibility; it would have the opposite effect by impairing night vision and reducing the visibility of outside objects, which is critical during night flight operations.