Flying a photographer... any tips?

calberto

calberto

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Calberto
I'm flying a photographer tomorrow so he can take pictures of houses.

Anyone else ever do this? Any tips or suggestions. Definitely going to be extra cautious for towers and airspaces.
 
I've had people start to get a little queasy after staring into the camera for too long. that's all I got.
 
Follow instructions, anticipate what the photographer is trying to do, be mindful of the wind and camera angles, be safe. Oh, and make sure your operation is legal.
 
Counsel them that, before they climb out of the back seat and into the baggage compartment to get a better view, they should tell you. Especially important when you are circling a photo target at 400' AGL.

Ask me how I know (in person only).

And before anyone gets all panty-twisted, it was a legal flight, under direct control of the facility in whose airspace (to the ground) I was.
 
Slow flight with or without flaps, stable turns and not too steep, minor to no altitude excursions
 
Before take off brief the photographer of your altitude restrictions. Try to keep the wing out of the shots. That means the ball will not be centered at times. Ask about sun angles for the shots.
 
Suggest morning flights to stave off the queasies. It is MUCH more a of a risk for a photographer than it is other passengers, even if he "doesn't get airsick." Summer turbulence and heat make it a lot worse. When CAP did its local airborne photography course on a hot summer day last year, EVERY afternoon sortie returned a full puke bag. Having flown with most of the 5 back-seaters in other contexts, they don't get airsick easily at all. And it really wasn't that turbulent; just the normal summer thermals and next to no wind.

In a Cessna, the back seat has an easier time keeping the strut, wing and gear out of the frame. It's much easier for long focal lengths (obviously). The front seat allows for opening the window. The long focal lengths also have the most difficulty pointing and keeping lunch down.

If you're doing houses, you're gonna be real low. Use flaps and keep the speed moderate. Too slow and the plane moves around too much, too fast and the target whizzes by. In the 182, I use 90 knots with 10 flaps. Just like an instrument approach, and for all the same reasons. Remember that under 500 AGL is not legal, and 1000 AGL may be required. If there are any obstructions in the area, it could be even higher. REVIEW OBSTRUCTIONS AHEAD OF TIME. You're poorly configured for tower dodging with a photographer in back.

Correct pointing mostly with rudder; the excursions will be smaller that way, and roll is a LOT more disruptive than yaw for a photographer, as it puts the $#*@% wing in the photo.

If you're planning on doing anything but oblique photos, practice ahead of time. It's possible to do steep turns at 1000 AGL in photo config, but you should practice it without the back seater. It's essentially the only way you can get a nadir shot without attaching cameras to the outside of the airplane. You may need a strong, full power, slip in addition. The photographer will need the shot tight and close in, much like a canyon turn.
 
Thanks for all of the feedback everyone!
 
Rudder is your friend. And have the shooter keep the camera strap around his neck.
 
Sundancer said:
Rudder is your friend. And have the shooter keep the camera strap around his neck.
Click to expand...
That's a real good idea if the window is open. 14 CFR 91.15 and all that.

Photos are better with the window open, but sometimes you can get rid of reflections other ways (such as a light-tight hood).
 
Make sure you go through the back and the cargo area and get anything that is lighter than a brick out. If you live in a dusty area, open the windows well before the camera comes out of the bag. Eyes suddenly full of sand and fod at 500 ft sucks
 
@calberto - I strongly recommend a pre-flight planning session where you've already put the houses onto your ipad GPS and planned a route. It's impossibly difficult without that. I've done 50 hours of home photography, and even when you know exactly where they are, it's sometimes hard to pick 'em out. In a 172, I find that the back seat is more spacious and that the strut is less in the way. Have fun, and don't get too slow in those banks, ok?
 
I was thinking more about being beat about the neck and head - as on a spring day, frontal passage, lot's of big and middle-sized bumps. The shooter whacked me with the camera a couple times. Or, more accurately, he let go of it a few times, when yelping, and/or hurling.

Anyway, better the shooter gets thump in the yap, than you in the head. . .
 
THanks for all of the advice today everyone! I had a great day out there.
 
I see that I am late to the funeral (strange phrase, come to think of it).
But you can talk to Jack here who does aerial photography, I am sure he will have great pointers, especially since he is an avid pilot too.
 
Missed the thread, but good stuff in here. I've done a few of these and it's "different", but well planned, it's also fun.
 
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