How low can an airplane or helicopter fly over an unpopulated body of water?
A helicopter can fly very low to the ground. Low enough that they can spook a horse. They need to have a foot or two of clearance. Airplanes can also fly low, but generally fly higher because they aren’t as manoeuvrable as a helicopter. Expect a helicopter to do low flying at about 1 to 2 meters from the ground (1 to 2 yards). Airplanes, except for very specific manoeuvres would generally be at least 5 to 6 meters from the ground (5 to 6 yards) except during take off and landing.
