When does night officially begin according to night-flying guidance?

• A. End of evening twilight to beginning of morning twilight (roughly a half hour after sunset and half hour before sunrise)
• B. From sunset to sunrise
• C. From astronomical twilight to civil twilight
• D. From nightfall to dawn

Answer: (A)

Night is defined by civil twilight. In night-flying guidance, night begins at the end of evening civil twilight and ends at the beginning of morning civil twilight. That places night roughly from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, though exact times vary by location and date. This window is the period when enough darkness exists for certain night operations, which is why the correct choice describes that specific interval. The other options either extend through twilight periods (sunset to sunrise), rely on astronomical or nautical twilight definitions, or use vague terms like nightfall that aren’t the official aviation terminology.