Agile,
First, I don’t understand your statement reference that ground effect hover is not flight. From every point of view, hovering is flight. Furthermore, as an aero engineer you should know a few things about a test point. For example, it’s purpose and the amount of study, calculation, simulation, and risk analysis prior to execution. The stunt seems more akin to that of an amateur daredevil. I also feel that an explanation of how and why the aircraft was never to be flown again would be most entertaining.