If it wasn't for people prepared to take the leap into the unknowns we wouldn't be flying today, as for the blind bend, we would stil be doing that looking up the ass of an ox.
Step Turn.
You mentioned flying along a beach at 50 ft to attract attention to kids drowning.
Just suppose you tried that along Brighton beach UK. One, the public would crucify you, two, they would be too busy looking through cameras to see the kids, three, you would be blamed for them drowning by diverting the attention of their, probably pissed, parents. You were very lucky.