I've never flown a demo/display flight over water, but being a carrier pilot and a P-3 pilot I have spent a LOT of flight time over water. On a hazy day with a high overcast it can be exceedingly difficult to see the horizon. The sky and water just blend together and its like flying inside a light bulb where all your attitude cues just go away. And over smooth/still water your speed cues go away as do your altitude cues. And if you're flying near high shoreline cliffs, your eye can mistake the cliff face for the ground which can be disorienting. And shorelines tend to have lots of birds in the air. So you make a good point. The cure may be worse than the illness.
Last edited by KenV; 27th Aug 2015 at 17:06.