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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National

Man fined after admitting flying model aeroplane near Heathrow on Christmas Eve

A man has pleaded guilty to flying a model aeroplane near the Heathrow airport perimeter. (Picture: PA Archive/PA Images)

A man has been fined £2,000 after he pleaded guilty to flying a model aeroplane near Heathrow Airport on Christmas Eve.

Police said George Rusu, 38, was flying his fixed wing, model aeroplane at Heathrow at 3pm, just days after drone sightings had caused chaos for thousands of passengers at Gatwick airport.

They arrested him and later that day charged him with flying an unmanned aircraft without permission of air traffic control.

Rusu, who is from West Drayton, entered a guilty plea at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

He was fined £2,000 and must pay costs of £85 and a £200 victim surcharge.

The court also ordered the model plane be destroyed.

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