A remote pilot flying at night stares continuously at the small UA's stationary anti-collision light. After a while, the light appears to drift even though the aircraft has not moved. What is this illusion called?

Why: The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge describes autokinesis: "When flying in the dark, a stationary light may appear to move if it is stared at for a prolonged period of time. As a result, a pilot may attempt to align the aircraft with the perceived moving light," potentially leading to loss of control. This is a purely visual illusion caused by fixating on a single point of light in darkness.

• The leans is a vestibular illusion from a sudden return to level flight after an unnoticed, gradual turn — it comes from the inner ear's motion sensing, not from visually staring at a light.
• Empty-field myopia occurs when there is nothing specific outside to focus on, such as above clouds or in haze, causing the eyes to relax to a close focal distance — the opposite scenario from fixating on a visible light.