Quick release photographer harness

[shanel]

Anyone know wherwe I might find one of these?
I have seen some good ones around with a two stage quick release mechanism on the front but haven't been able to find where to get one from.
Any help is appreciated.

[landy01]

Hi,

I would try sarquip (a division of chc)-
CHC Helicopters (Australia) | Helicopter (http://www.chcaustralia.com/sarquip.html)


the quick release is a capewell release and ask about aircrew harnesses/restraints. Alternatively ask the local SaR/ utility operators what they use for their winch ops/ aircrew.

Hope this helps

Alex

Hope this helps

[shanel]

landy01,
Thanks for that, I'll give them a go.

Cheers

[TwinHueyMan]

Products (http://www.priority1airrescue.com/Products.cfm)

They have a lot of good stuff there, and the staff can help you get anything you need. For photogs, I especially recommend the "Orca" strap, which is a tether with an inertia reel in it. Used it for a photo shoot a few days ago and loved the freedom of movement... if you need solid restraint, just give it a yank and keep your body tight against it. Worked a champ.

Mike

[shanel]

Thanks Mike,
That was a useful link. I should be able to find what I'm looking for there.

[MikeNYC]

I work as the assistant to a commercial aerial photographer. We use Yates harnesses and tethers for all of our work. I use a Voyager, while the photographer uses the Technical Rescue harness. For tethers, the photographer (working with the door removed) is secured with 2-3 Yates 2-to-1 Adjustable Pick-Off Straps. I, the assistant, secure myself with either an additional pick-off strap or a Blackhawk PRL lanyard. The nice thing with both harnesses is that they have rear waist as well as dorsal (high middle of back) attachment points, so I can control how far my boss's hips can slide forward as well as how much he can lean out. A large amount of work we do is shot nearly straight down, hence the need for movement... as opposed to shots toward the horizon.

We are always anchored to multiple places in the aircraft, and rig points together to create a more failsafe mount point. So far, we've worked in a 206B, 206L, 407, MD500, EC120, EC130, R44, AS350, and AS355. Some have been tougher to rig than others (depending on the interior), but we've always found a way to do it safely.

Yates: Rope Rescue Harnesses (http://www.yatesgear.com/rescue/roperescue/harnesses/index.htm)

I realize that you asked for a quick-release harness, which we don't use. With the way we rig, both the photographer and I can get to each other's attachment points, as well as our own. We don't operate over water a great deal, and are more comfortable not having a quick release due to the great amount of movement we do in the aircraft when changing cameras, lenses, etc. You could likely add a quick-release component to the attachment point. I have seen quick-release harnesses and belts, but feel safer with the equipment we've chosen. I also carry a sharp Spyderco knife that can cut through webbing, if needed.

A few other links you may find helpful:
http://www.lifesupportintl.com/products/categories.asp?cID=297&c=17215
Eagle Industries*::*Aircrew Systems*::*Aircrew Accessories*::*Helicopter Restraint Tether (http://www.eagleindustries.com/product.php?productid=16148)


If you've seen a quick-release harness that looks safe for aerial photography needs, I too would be interested in the details of its operation.