I disagree with 'asking for trouble'. We all know where helos have to operate to stay safe and we all appreciate where they need to practise this. A Low flying chart is splurged in all manner of red markings - including nature reserves - that every helo operator knows he has to stay away from and by what margin. That's before a single notam has been checked and plotted, or a local area avoid as notified by those that live in heavily used areas, who are happy to have them there as long ad they stay away from certain places. When this process is all complete, what they have left to 'play' in is not a great deal of airspace. My experience of low flying in helicopters is that nearly all the people I've flown over are very happy to see us, unless a frantic wave of the hand is now a rather more rude gesture than I think ! Of course, understandably, it's not for everyone - some lodge a complaint (correct), some raise a shotgun or charge with a land rover (incorrect).