STUDENT PLT GOT TOO LOW FOR A TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL RESULTING IN A PUBLIC COMPLAINT.

Narrative

MY STUDENT AND I WERE PRACTICING TKOF AND LNDGS IN THE TFC PATTERN. DURING ONE CIRCUIT AROUND THE PATTERN; I CUT HIS PWR ON DOWNWIND TO SIMULATE AN ENG OUT EMER. THE STUDENT HESITATED A MIN; THEN I SUGGESTED TO TURN TOWARDS THE RWY. WHILE ON A MODIFIED BASE LEG FOR THE RWY WE EXPERIENCED DOWN DRAFTS OVER A BODY OF WATER WE WERE XING. THIS PUT US IN A LOWER THAN NORMAL SIT; ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WATER IS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT JOINS UP WITH THE E END OF THE ARPT. AT 250 FT AGL IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE GLIDE PATH WOULD TAKE US TO THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT; BUT THE ACFT WAS BORDERLINE LOW OF MAKING A 90 DEG TURN TO LAND ON THE RWY. IN THIS SIT I ADDED PWR; AND CLBED UP 100 FT; IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL. AFTER THE LESSON WAS OVER; A NEIGHBOR CALLED AND COMPLAINED ABOUT ACFT BEING TOO LOW OVER HIS HOUSE. I CALLED HIM BACK AND EXPLAINED WHAT WAS GOING ON; AND THAT WE GOT LOWER THAN WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN. I DO NOT KNOW WHERE HIS COMPLAINTS WILL GO FROM HERE. STUDYING THE REGS; FOR THE PURPOSE OF TKOF AND LNDG AN ACFT CAN BE LOWER THAN THE 500 FT AGL RULE OF BEING WITHIN PERSON PROPERTY OR VESSEL AND STRUCTURE. AND WE STILL WERE HIGH ENOUGH TO GLIDE TO THE ARPT SO NO ONE WAS IN DANGER EXCEPT FOR OURSELVES. SO I AM NOT SURE A REG WAS BROKEN. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE MORE CAREFUL ON HOW LOW WE GET DURING SUCH EVENTS. I WILL ALSO AVOID PRACTICING SUCH MANEUVERS OVER NEIGHBORHOODS OR POPULATED AREAS.