OK FNG,
As someone who wouldn't support the 30ft over beaches flying, let me put a non safety argument to you. Please don’t take this argument as in any way against you personally. I tend to agree with most of what you post here!
You mentioned earlier in this thread that your professional body might discipline you if you were successfully prosecuted for low flying. I too belong to a professional body which might take similar action. (I'm an accountant). However, I can also be disciplined without ever breaking the letter of any law or rules, if I'm seen to bring my profession into disrepute. I'm sure you're in the same situation.
This is not because our professional bodies enjoy disciplining their members, but rather because our fellow members can, undeservedly, suffer because of our actions. This can be true, even if we haven't broken any rule.
While flying might not be covered by a professional members body, I think we each should consider the implications of what we do on our fellow pilots.
Supposing a fellow pilot sees what he thinks is a deserted beach, and decides to fly down it at 100ft. Behind a sand dunne there is a group of people having a bbq. Our pilot sees the group in time, and continues to fly at 100ft, but moves horizontally away, so that he remains at 500ft from the people. Lets assume that the pilot is highly skilled, so that this situation is neither illegal, nor dangerous (I know some might argue it is dangerous, but lets assume it's not.) The pilot has a very enjoyable few minutes, and flies off thinking "I'm legal & safe. Everything is fine."
Now there happens to be a small local strip nearby, which isn't shown on the VFR chart. This strip has some nimby neighbours, who are constantly complaining about noise, and complaining to the local council to have it closed. They claim that these little planes are just the rich boys toys, and that they are noisy and dangerous. They don't want them flying over or anywhere near their homes.
Some of these nimbys happen to be at that bbq on the beach and take a pic of the aircraft flying at 100ft over the beach They send these pics to the local town council to show how dangerous and reckless these pilots are. The pilot will never be called in front of the town council to explain that this was legal and safe. And it may very well lead to the council placing further restrictions on the local airfield.
The one pilot who flew low, but legally and safely, enjoyed his 60 second of exhilaration, and went away satisfied, but he ruined a lifetime of flying for the other pilots who can no longer operate from that strip, or are now restricted on their movements. That pilot could well be on this thread giving out about anyone who complains about low flying, and on another complaining about over pricing at larger strips.
Suppose an hour later another aircraft did the same thing, when that bbq was still going on, and they got a photo of that aircraft too? How would that affect things?
Suppose that rather than the nimbys at the beach party, that it was a local councillor and a few of his friends, which would also include other councillors. How would they look at the next complaint about that local airfield?
Flying is seen by much of the public as a rich mans hobby. They don't see the need to let little planes fly over their homes and make noise. Whenever we go flying, we should always think about how our actions affect our fellow pilots, and our sport in general. I don't believe that low flying can do anything but harm to our hobby, and will just lead to further restrictions on our flying.
I have deliberately kept away from the legal/illegal issue as the standard answer to the "it's illegal" accusation is "you can't judge height". I’ve also kept away from the it's safe/unsafe argument, as the standard response to that is "I’m a display/test pilot and am perfectly safe". However briefly on these I'd say, if someone can accurately read your registration unaided, then you are too close, and also that even display and test pilots die in aviation accidents.
dp