BillieBob
All well and good but remember with all these regulations the Commander of the aircraft can over ride the regulations if he feels the aircraft and its occupants are at risk.
So the VFR pilot flying VMC up the coast who is forced below 500 feet to remain VMC is quite within his legal rights regardless of the regs.
He will have to explain himself had he been recorded or admitted to doing so but he could not be found guilty if there was a genuine reason for doing so!
Small point but we live in the real world not the pen pushers office.
Pace