Personally as a non-aviator I find it extremely difficult to judge altitudes by eye. The first time I ever walked up to a Tornado on the ground I was expecting it to be vastly larger, more the size of an F-15, so presumably up to that point I had been overestimating.
Much as I assume average aircrew probably wouldn't be much cop at estimating focus distances, one would not expect a cameraman to do a pilot's job or a pilot to do a cameraman's job...
That said there does seem to be a general attitude of "bugger the rules" which is of course fine until someone puts a fast jet through the side of a tower block in a moment of excess.
P