With 25 years in the attack Navy I am reminded why I loved single seat so
much.

George,

 

Here is the Navy's official position on the subject from their OPNAV Instruction 3710.7T NATOPS General Flight and Operating Instructions. Unless you retired from the Navy before about 1950 this applied.

 

5.1.3 Unusual Maneuvers Within Class B, C, or
D Airspace. Pilots shall not perform or request
clearance to perform unusual maneuvers within class B,
C, or D airspace if such maneuvers are not essential to
the performance of the flight. ATC personnel are not
permitted to approve a pilot’s request or ask a pilot to
perform such maneuvers. Unusual maneuvers include
unnecessary low passes, unscheduled fly-bys, climbs at
very steep angles, practice approaches to altitudes
below specific minimums (unless a landing is to be
made), or any so-called flat hatting wherein a flight is
conducted at a low altitude and/or a high rate of speed
for thrill purposes.

 

5.5.1.6 Flat Hatting. Flat hatting or any maneuvers
conducted at low altitude and/or a high rate of
speed for thrill purposes over land or water are
prohibited.

 

Your CFI should have studied the following:

 

14CFR91

Section 91.13: Careless or reckless operation.

(a) Aircraft operations for the purpose of air navigation. No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another.

Section 91.119: Minimum safe altitudes: General.

Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:

(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.

(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.

(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

Section 91.303: Aerobatic flight.

No person may operate an aircraft in aerobatic flight—

(a) Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement;

(b) Over an open air assembly of persons;

(c) Within the lateral boundaries of the surface areas of Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E airspace designated for an airport;

(d) Within 4 nautical miles of the center line of any Federal airway;

(e) Below an altitude of 1,500 feet above the surface; or

(f) When flight visibility is less than 3 statute miles.

For the purposes of this section, aerobatic flight means an intentional maneuver involving an abrupt change in an aircraft's attitude, an abnormal attitude, or abnormal acceleration, not necessary for normal flight.

From a regulatory and common sense standpoint it seems pretty simple to me-- but I have asked our local FAA office for an opinion which I will forward to all.

Regards,

Jeff