SMA FLIES LOW OVER LAKE FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING WITH MY COUSIN AND HIS FRIEND FROM ELKIN; NC; TO LINCOLNTON. WE HAD A PROFESSIONAL CAMERA ON BOARD WHICH MY COUSIN USES FOR HIS SCRAPBOOK. WE HAD BEEN TAKING PICTURES THE WHOLE TRIP AND HE WANTED TO GET SOME SHOTS OF THE LAKE. I PAID CLOSE ATTN TO MY ALTIMETER TO TRY TO HOLD 500 FT ABOVE THE LAKE. THERE WERE SOME TIMES THAT WE WERE IN A BANK TO GET A GOOD SHOT THAT I LOST ABOUT 100 FT OF ALT. I THEN WOULD CORRECT IT IMMEDIATELY. WE FLEW OVER THE LAKE FOR ABOUT 30 MINS. WHEN WE LANDED AT 5N4 (LINCOLNTON ARPT); I WENT TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL PLANE. ONCE IN THE FBO; I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND OUT SOMEONE HAD CALLED THE ARPT WHO RECOGNIZED THE PLANE AND COMPLAINED ABOUT ME BEING TOO LOW OVER THE LAKE. I WAS VERY DISTRAUGHT FROM THE NEWS AND WENT BACK TO THE PLANE TO CHK MY ALTIMETER. I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO RESET MY ALTIMETER FROM ELKIN AND IT WAS APPROX 150 FT OFF. I FEEL THAT WE WERE BEING SAFE OVER THE LAKE. IT WAS MY FAULT; THOUGH; NOT TO HAVE RESET THE ALTIMETER. WE ALSO MIGHT NOT HAVE PICKED THE BEST DAY BECAUSE THE LAKE WAS VERY CROWDED AND THE NOISE OF THE PLANE MIGHT HAVE DISRUPTED OTHER PEOPLE LIKE THE PERSON WHO CALLED AND COMPLAINED.