Bronx
I think you are failing to take into account that the pilot was feeling under personal threat. Looking at the rather thuggish photo of Morse I can see why!
Presumably it was Morse's intention to physically restrain the aircraft from taking off - that in itself says a lot about the tone of his behaviour during the encounter.
Of course, living in New York you are used to routine street violence including guns as the norm, but here in the UK we are not used to that sort of thing, certainly not in leafy Warwickshire anyway. I am sure it was a difficult decision for the pilot, but if he felt he was being unlawfully detained with a view to a beating or worse, I can sympathise with his desire to get airborne.
HC