Pilot in court over 'life-threatening' flight near Wallace Monument and crash into power lines

A man has appeared in court accused of putting life in danger by piloting an unregistered aircraft less than 500 feet above the national Wallace Monument in Stirling, while not in possession of an appropriate air crew licence.

William Anderson is also accused of recklessly flying an unregistered aircraft at approximately 20 feet above Culross Pier, Fife, and over a footpath with adults and children nearby, flying parallel to a railway line at head height, and less than 500 feet over an oil tanker on the Firth of Forth.

It is further alleged that he flew in Edinburgh Airport’s controlled airspace without clearance, performed an unauthorised landing and take-off at Linlithgow Golf Club, endangering persons and property at the 18-hole course, landed a microlight on a public road in front of a moving vehicle before taking off again, and crashed a microlight into power lines.

Anderson, 66, is also accused of being in command of a Denney Kitfox single-engined aircraft and a Pegasus Quantum 15 microlight at Linlithgow Golf Course without certificates of airworthiness in force for them, and acting as flight crew without a licence.

The offences are said to have been committed between August 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024, at the above locations, and at Myrehead Farm, Linlithgow, West Lothian.

At a procedural hearing at Stirling Sheriff Court, Anderson, of Bo’ness, made no plea.

Solicitor Alastair Ross, defending, asked for a debate to be set to determine the admissibility of some video evidence.

Sheriff Keith O’Mahony continued the case until on July 28 for legal debate, and continued bail.