Big Pistons,
You said;
I teach my students that the cockpit light knob is always paired with the nav light switch. That is if you need to turn on the panel lights to see the instruments it is always time to turn on the nav lights
Perhaps you should considder the actual legal requirement for the display of Nav lights. One can easily have bright sunshine lighting up your pannel and getting in your eyes at FL70 at a time when the aircraft is flying during the period of Night which is always determined at the surface.
That is one of the reasons why larger aircraft have the nav lights on at all times - much easier than working out the intercept of night time from the tables in the middle of nowhere!
With regard to the aircraft nearly taxying into a parked aircraft..............is the reason for the problem the lack of strobes or is the reason behind the problem the fact that;
a) the aircraft moving was not using a taxi light.
How would the moving aircraft have put a wing in the other aircraft's propeller because surely they would not have turned until they reached the point where the stationary aircraft was....unless they were aware somehow of the presence of another aircraft between them and the hold!!
Perhaps that pilot should try to taxi behind some big aircraft when the tail nav lights are placed on the wing tip trailing edges.........a system that leaves a large dark area between just where the tail is sitting!
Anyhow, why turn the aircraft into wind to complete a run-up especially if that requires a turn through 180 degrees on a taxiway...........everyone taxying towards you will have their taxi lights on and will destroy your night vision!!!!
Regards,
DFC