Didnīt get to that spot in my career yet, but I am curious:
If you get an airshow/aerobatic waiver, I donīt believe that you are allowed to "perform" with passengers (non-essential personal, - a wingwalker-show will need the walker, but a helo stunt show doesnīt need a bunch of skydivers.....) on board, are you?
Although it may not be fair, I believe in most parts of the world you will be guilty if you run someone over on the street, even if he runs in front of you in the last split sec.
Most traffic codes will tell you, that you have to drive in a manner to be able to stop in any case - like a child running out in front of you.
Even if the photographer was told not to go out in that spot, the pilot should have been flying higher (or better said, should have never started to "stunt" that low with pax on board or over uncontrolled terrain). If he holds a waiver and low extrem maneuvers is the order of the show, then it should be conducted over a surface that is fully visible with no chance for someone crouching and jumping in front of the machine.
On the other hand imagine a Formula 1 car race, and some idiot makes it onto the track gets hit and the car spinns of, maybe hits a track guard and/or the driver gets hurt in the process.
Who is to blame?
No one complains about these guys driving in relative close proximity to people at insane speeds and definitly not able to always stop in sight distance - as required in most traffic codes!
On the other hand again, they race on a mostly sealed off area and most important without passengers! (Imagine a full schoolbus with a souped up engine!!!)
They also hold a waiver (race driver licence...)
No question the ****man can fly and must have some incredible control of the machine - still this was avoidable on the part of the pilot!
Who was looking for the thrill - just the passengers or the driver too!!
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