RAF flying instructor Flt. Lt. Rodriquez pleaded guilty Tuesday before a court martial hearing regarding his low altitude flight with a student over an Open golf championship. Rodriguez, with student in tow, reportedly descended a Grob trainer to 400 feet AGL and flew over some 30,000 people who had gathered to watch the world’s best golfers, all of whom were “protected” by temporary flight restrictions. Aside from being identified by its registration number, the flight was also tracked by a satellite. Rodriguez has accumulated more than 1600 flight hours, including time logged refueling coalition fighter aircraft over Iraq. The instructor earlier told investigators that he had not been made aware that the course had been identified as a “no-fly” zone by his station commander at RAF Leuchars … and that he was an avid golfer. He was fined 1,500 British pounds and “given a severe reprimand,” according to the Telegraph UK.
