Two cameramen have drowned (one fixed wing one as350) tangled in their harness (one home made the other I assume so).
A cameraman fell out of a military helicopter when he unfastend his belt to check the security of a camera bag near the door at the same time as the aircraft rolled without any G.
Fortunately these incidents are very rare.
Does the pilot who thinks a few bungies clipped to the doorframe is ok, also think a dispatchers harness is not essential?
Another piece of advice given on cameraman forums is to secure the buckle of the lap belt with tape so if it gets caught on a camera it has some resistance to popping open.
The associated saftey issue of using a seat belt is that it has to be quite loose to allow the operator to sit across the seat. His hips are at 45 degrees to the seat back. Shouldn't belts be securely fastened?
WHilst a web of bungies, camera cables and straps may be legal, egress is impeded by them.
Also there is a sizable piece of camera not being able to be properly secured for landing or in an emergency.
Unsecured chunks of metal inches from the operators unprotected head could render him unconcious in just a heavy landing.
That is not correct i am afraid, example I was the pilot for Mr Connery's drop from 2450 ft with no parachute into cardboard boxs. We had most of the CAA there and asked about putting 4 GoPro camera onto the skids, cargo hook and on suckers inside with safety wire. Was told by the CAA as they were temporarily and not bolted/ welded to the aircraft then there was no problem.
A cineflex camera mounting bracket is not welded to the aircraft and is temporary yet needs six figures of $ to develop test and certify to CAA standard. If the paperwork as much as has a typo some engineers wont install it.
Ok, a large bracket and payload affects performance and flight, C of G ect.
With gopros installed here there and everywhere, shooting at an airshow last weekend I councilled against the placement of a DSLR clamped on a skid, mission creep!
The FAA gave the pilot a visit when I bolted a small lipstick camera on a gimbal in LA a few years ago.
We regularly attach a small comms aerial to a skid but beyond that I've learnt my lesson.
If the frequency of forum posts is a measure, the instances of aerial cameramen shooting on the cheap is increasing.
Clarification of insurance regarding loose seatblets, restricted egress, non certified mounts, nil helmets may produce some information that improves flight saftey.
A video tape jammed the pedals 25 years ago, a go pro has the same capacity.
Mickjoebill