A PLT IN A PA28 WITH TWO PAX DEPARTED AFTER AN AIR SHOW AND THEN FLEW LOW OVER THE SHOW AREA AND OVER PEOPLE IN THEIR BOATS. ONE OF THE PAX; WHO WAS ALSO AN INSTRUCTOR PLT; STATES THAT HE OBJECTED TO THIS ACTIVITY.

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ON MAY/XA/98 I WAS A PAX IN THE R FRONT SEAT ON A FLT FROM FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE TO VERO BEACH IN FLORIDA. THE FLT DEPARTED AT XA00 LCL TIME AND PROCEEDED OVER THE OCEAN SHORELINE TO A POINT LOCATED ABOUT 3/4 OF A MILE OFF SHORE; WHERE AN AIR SHOW TOOK PLACE UNTIL AN HOUR BEFORE. THE PIC WHO OWNS A PRIVATE PLT CERTIFICATE THEN DECIDED TO TAKE A LOOK AT FREIGHTERS ANCHORING AT THIS POINT AND TO FLY ALONG BUOYS MARKING THE AIR SHOW COURSE. FOR THIS PURPOSE HE DSNDED TO A LOWER ALT WHICH APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 200 FT MSL. HE THEN STARTED HIS CIRCLING MANEUVER AROUND THOSE FREIGHTERS MAINTAINING A DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 500 FT AND FOLLOWED THE AIR SHOW COURSE. HOWEVER; SINCE THERE WERE SMALLER BOATS IN THE AREA AT THIS TIME; THE PIC MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE MINIMUM SAFE ALTS WITH REGARD TO THOSE BOATS. THE PIC AND I WERE NOT AWARE OF A VIOLATION AT THIS TIME AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE AREA ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER. THE PIC HAS BEEN CONTACTED; 4 DAYS LATER; ABOUT A POSSIBLE VIOLATION BY UNOFFICIAL SOURCES. EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THE PIC SEVERAL TIMES THAT HE SHOULD NOT DSND TO SUCH A LOW ALT OVER THE OCEAN; I DID NOT TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION TO PREVENT HIM FROM DOING SO. STRONGER INTERFERENCE ON MY PART COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SIT AND A POSSIBLE VIOLATION. HOWEVER; I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY VIOLATION AT THIS TIME. SINCE THE PIC; I; AS WELL AS ANOTHER PAX ON BOARD; ENJOYED THE DAY AT THE AIR SHOW HIS JUDGEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN IMPAIRED BY THOSE ACTIONS FROM THE AIRPLANES FLYING AT THE AIR SHOW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 401528: TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE; I NEVER DSNDED TO LOWER THAN 200-250 FT MSL; AND AT NO TIME WHATSOEVER DID I FLY CLOSER THAN 500 FT FROM ANY PERSONS OR VESSELS. AS FAR AS STEEP TURNS; I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY TURN WAS EXCESSIVE NOR DO I BELIEVE I ENDANGERED MY TWO PAX AT ANY TIME. LOOKING BACK AT MY SECTIONAL CHART; I MAY HAVE STRAYED JUST INSIDE THE FLL CLASS C; BUT ONLY FOR A FEW SECONDS. I COULD MAYBE HAVE CALLED FLL DEP; BUT AT THE TIME IT SEEMED I DIDN'T NEED TO DO SO. A COMBINATION OF ANXIETY FROM THE AIR SHOW; AND THE FREEDOM OF JUST RECENTLY ACQUIRING MY PRIVATE LICENSE; HAS MADE A POSSIBLE PROBLEM IN MY FLYING FUTURE AT SCHOOL. NO FARS WERE BROKEN; BUT POOR DECISION MAKING HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED; AND I WILL CERTAINLY HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS SIT.