PAX SIGHT SEEING BI-PLANE IS INVOLVED IN A LOW ALT CIVIL OP OVER OR NEAR THE BEACH. PROX OF SURFERS.

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FLYING ALONG THE SEACOAST APPROX 1/4 TO 1/2 MI OFFSHORE I DSNDED TO 500 FT FROM MY USUAL CRUISE ALT OF 1000 FT BECAUSE MY PAX (SURFERS) WERE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE SURF ALONG THE STRETCH OF BEACH WHERE WE WERE FLYING. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HOWEVER; UPON LNDG; I WAS INFORMED THAT SOMEONE COMPLAINED TO THE FAA THAT AN AIRPLANE ROUGHLY MATCHING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ONE THAT I WAS FLYING HAD FLOWN VERY LOW OVER SURFERS IN THE WATER. MY PERSONAL STANDARD AND OUR COMPANY POLICY IS TO FLY NO LOWER THAN 1000 FT AGL WITH PAX; BUT THE DEV TO A LOWER ALT OF ABOUT 500 FT OVER THE OCEAN (BY DEFINITION; AN UNPOPULATED AREA WHERE EVEN LOWER ALTS ARE LEGAL) WAS BOTH IN COMPLIANCE WITH FARS AND WITHOUT UNDUE RISK. INDEED; SUCH FLTS ARE OFTEN APPROVED BY CRQ TWR AS AN EXPEDITIOUS MEANS OF TRANSITING THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE WHICH OVERLAPS THE COASTLINE FURTHER N. HOWEVER; CURRENT REGS REQUIRE THAT QUANTITATIVE STANDARDS BE MET; BUT NO PROVISION EXISTS THAT REQUIRES PLTS TO CONSIDER THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION OF DANGER EVEN IF THE OP IS LEGAL. WHILE IT'S CLR THAT WHAT PLEASES ONE PERSON CAN FRIGHTEN ANOTHER; CONTINUED PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT FLT SAFETY SUGGESTS THE AVIATION SYS SHOULD ENCOURAGE PLTS DURING AB-INITIO TRAINING; BIANNUAL REVIEWS; AND CFI RECERTIFICATION TRAINING TO CONSIDER NOT JUST THE LEGALITY OF THEIR ACTIONS BUT ALSO THE PERCEPTION OF THEIR ACTIONS BY THE NON-FLYING PUBLIC.