A man in the UK is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty this week to having endangered a World War II-era Royal Air Force plane by flying his drone near the craft during an historic airshow event last July.

Identified as Mark Bagguley, the accused admitted to having piloted the drone spotted dangerously close to a wing of the Battle of Britain Memorial Hurricane plane during the annual Buxton Carnival in Derbyshire last summer. In addition to the peril to which the defendant exposed the aircraft – which is considered an historic vehicle – his prohibited piloting of the UAV could have provoked injury or worse to the some 20,000 spectators on the ground in the event of a crash.

Read: UK drone pilot threatened with a gun in disturbing video 

Making matters even worse, the entire area had been designated a no-flight zone to all craft except those participating in the event’s scheduled flypast demonstrations. Not done there, Bagguley was also charged with having flown the drone beyond his visible line of sight when he piloted it near the vintage plane.

After pleading guilty to magistrates in Chesterfield Monday, Bagguley now awaits their sentencing decision expected on February 9. Any penalties inflicted will be heaped atop the considerable denunciation and scolding that he’s already received for the exceptionally bonehead move.

“The way the pilot flew his drone was unsafe, illegal, and totally unacceptable.,” said…