Camera Set Up for Adventure Flights

[VH-XXX]

Fellow Pruners,

Let's say that you wanted to set up cameras on an aircraft for Adventure Flights.

Has anyone done this successfully? In particular the type of equipment and recording device that will allow for quick creation of the DVD afterwards.

(I'm not concerned about the legal / airworthiness aspect of fitting such equipment at this time)

Key criteria would be:

- Multiple camera's, eg, wing, passenger, tail. (with switching device - auto or manual)
- A recording media that is easy to remove from the aircraft (eg. USB)
- A recording device that has a decent battery life. It could do 15 sorties in a row
- A recording format that will mean a quick "burn" of the movie is possible when slotted in amongst some pre-recorded footage
- Burning equipment, a DVD recorder with mixing unit perhaps?

In the end, it's not going to be the placement of the cameras that make this successful, it will be the ability for a quick turnaround of the media and quick production process so as to allow the passenger to take it straight home.

Suggestions welcome.

PS: As much as the ForkMount(TM) is a great product, it won't quite cut the mustard for this project.

[Horatio Leafblower]

1/. Have you done much video editing?
2/. Have you done much video editing while flying and taking care of pax?

:confused:

May I suggest you go to a Tandem parachute operation and talk to the camera guys there? They have got it all sorted and would probably give you some good recommendations.

I have been experimenting on-and-off for about 10 years now and the greatest problem with externally mounted cameras is ensuring you have a secure mount so you can avoid vibration.

I have owned a couple of these and I recommend them:
http://www.launchhelmetcams.com.au/files/imagecache/product/contour-main.jpg

Be careful with the mounting solutions they provide - they might be fine for 60-100kph on the side of a helmet but 350kph is something different (yes I have lost one). The video output is superb :ok: and at $399 each they are pretty affordable (but not so cheap you can afford to have them fall off :ugh: ).

For editing software I have been playing with AVS4YOU. If I can work it out it can't be too hard.

Switching & central recording in the aeroplane would require cables and contol from the cockpit, which means running wires internally or lots of gaffa tape.
The ContourHD records to a MicroSD card - a 2Gb card will record 1 hour of HD video, but you can use cards up to 16Gb. SD/XD Card readers are pretty standard on PCs these days.
Battery life is 3 hours but you can get spare batts and keep them charged.

If you are planning to do these in min turnaround I would recommend you have a number of "template" videos (with company logo, generic file footage, soundtrack, scene transitions etc all set up) into which you insert a bit from this camera, a bit from that camera, another bit from this one etc.

Hope this helps

Horatio "Steven Spielberg" Leafblower

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

As much as the ForkMount(TM) is a great product, it won't quite cut the mustard for this project.

D'oh! :E

Dr :8

[LeadSled]

VH-XXX,
Talk to Red Baron at YSBK. Put the question on the Australian Warbirds (AWAL) web site. If you are going to be doing Adventure Flights, you are going to have to be a member of AWAL, as they are the administrator of these operations.
Tootle pip!!

[VH-XXX]

Thats all sorted LedSled, it's an existing operation.

Just adding some value.

I'm thinking the key would be some kind of auto switch box to change camera views, plus USB or HD recording and a template for rendering and burning.

[SystemsAreGo]

The helmet cam is a cheap, easy and effective option. Put a wide angle bullet cam on the top of your headset or your pax's headset. Best way for them to re-live their experience and they sell like hotcakes :ok:

If you want to do a more serious permanent job, I would recommend a tail cam. I've seen some excellent results from a good wide angle lens.

HD recorder to SD card is quick and painless.

[VH-XXX]

That's not a bad idea either, except that the pilot would have to wear a helmet which he may not be overly excited about; albiet a basic one. You would get a great view from the pilot (obviously) and you don't have to worry about extra wires with the passenger getting in and out.

Sounds like it will be a sizeable investment and a lot of stuffing around, but could offer some quick returns.

(I'll ask the pilot if he wants to wear a strap-on)

[OZBUSDRIVER]

XXX, for simplicity, all the cameras are recording at the same time. It is only in the editing suite that you connect all the clips into one recording. Real time editing:eek: That is a tall ask!

[b_sta]

(I'll ask the pilot if he wants to wear a strap-on)

Don't forget to ask him about the helmet-cam, too :E

[VH-XXX]

That's my line B Sta :)

OZ, with a switchbox, I wouldn't have to have 3 separate sources for video recording. I'm thinking an auto-switch with a time delay say 20 seconds, or perhaps a rotary button on the dash or somewhere similar, however the pilot would need to know which camera he is on (not that hard), but depending on the switch configuration and what's available it's going to look a bit ugly (and fuzzy) as it does the scene changes from one camera to the other.

What I don't want to have to do is have the assistant or the pilot unload the USB cards from 3 individual cameras or the recording device for that matter.

Perhaps a solid state USB recorder / DVR device.

All this off a rechargeable 12 volts or similar unless each device has it's own power.

I must say though that helmet cam is up there with the best ideas so far (it's what the skydivers do) and the pilot can make it quite interesting as he would move his head around and look at stuff of interest knowing that the film is running.

[Ultralights]

GO-PRO HD, yes, good for 120 Kts Plus. used regularly in motorsports on formula car. i have 2, all for $300 including mounting hardware

http://www.goprocamera.com/images/products/large/683_large_CHDMH-001-01-683x426.jpg

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2194/37/61/50043151918/n50043151918_1504952_6357.jpg

[djpil]

I understand that the Red Baron is starting to use these (http://www.datatoys.com/products/Specialty_Systems-Aviation/c10_11/index.html).
I'm happy with my Contour HD as shown by Horatio.

[Cinders]

XXX,

I've set up video systems for a few skydiving ops.

Assuming you're planning to put it in the Tiger Moth, there's a river of gold you could mine with video.

The simple fact is that you need to keep the in air stuff as plug and play as possible, develop a script and a process, and have it totally repeatable regardless of personnel, so you get the same scripted raw footage every time. Trying to flip between cameras in the air will only make it over complex, and let you miss the all important reaction shots. Keep it simple, run two cameras, and have a script that has audio cues for the dubber.

If you do, you can simplify the editing so that for the most part, you don't even have to watch the footage, (for skydiving, we edit by watching the timeline and the audio changes alone).

My latest system uses Sony Vegas Pro on a reasonably powerful machine, with simple templates and strict scripts, and can churn out 8 12-15 minute, branded, edited, and burnt dvd's, complete with DRF music tracks every hour.

For the Tiger Moth, I'd suggest 2 Go-Pro's - one forward looking from behind the Pax, and one mounted to capture their face.

A good script, and a competent editor and you can have the product out the door 20 minutes after they land.

Pretty sure you know who I am, you can find me most weekends in the other building opposite the boat...


C.

For an example of the Go-pro's field of view, this was shot with one suction cupped to the back of the perspex roof section of an 8KCAB.

qVVOHbeQldg

[Rich-Fine-Green]

Externally mounted devices may need an EO - unless the aircraft is experimental.

[notmyC150v2]

Dunno why they would want a record of something like this...

stuntplane.flv video by notmyc150v2 - Photobucket (http://s164.photobucket.com/albums/u6/notmyc150v2/?action=view&current=stuntplane.flv)

[AussieNick]

i recognise that decathalon, the good ol' bikkie bomber!