GA small aircraft pilot questions whether acrobatic flight was legal at 800' offshore over the ocean...

Attributes
ACN	175585
Time
Date	199104
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : l52
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	175585
Person 2
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After practicing aerobatics offshore, west of the oceano airport, it was brought to my attention that a person who was on the oceano airport believed that I was performing aerobatics over some houses. There were a # of pilot witnesses that confirmed that I was definitely over the water. I have an FAA aerobatic waiver to do aerobatics with 0 limitations on altitude and maneuvers. My question now is whether or not I was at a legal practice, not my position relative to anything else. I am now trying to find out if flying 800' over the ocean is legal. This is the reason I wrote this report. To correct this problem I should have asked the FAA first. I just never gave it a thought because I do have a waiver.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT QUESTIONS WHETHER ACROBATIC FLT WAS LEGAL AT 800' OFFSHORE OVER THE OCEAN.

Narrative: AFTER PRACTICING AEROBATICS OFFSHORE, W OF THE OCEANO ARPT, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT A PERSON WHO WAS ON THE OCEANO ARPT BELIEVED THAT I WAS PERFORMING AEROBATICS OVER SOME HOUSES. THERE WERE A # OF PLT WITNESSES THAT CONFIRMED THAT I WAS DEFINITELY OVER THE WATER. I HAVE AN FAA AEROBATIC WAIVER TO DO AEROBATICS WITH 0 LIMITATIONS ON ALT AND MANEUVERS. MY QUESTION NOW IS WHETHER OR NOT I WAS AT A LEGAL PRACTICE, NOT MY POSITION RELATIVE TO ANYTHING ELSE. I AM NOW TRYING TO FIND OUT IF FLYING 800' OVER THE OCEAN IS LEGAL. THIS IS THE REASON I WROTE THIS RPT. TO CORRECT THIS PROB I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE FAA FIRST. I JUST NEVER GAVE IT A THOUGHT BECAUSE I DO HAVE A WAIVER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.