GoPro Mounting Suggestions

[DrewG]

I have a GoPro with the regular and suction cup mounts, along with the accessory audio cable (about 6 ft. long) that will allow me to record communications.

I am using this to record my flight lessons and I would assume that ideally, I'd want to mount this in a place that allows for me to have a view of both inside and out while still being able to reach the cable from my panel input to the camera.

I'll be flying both a C-172 and a Piper Warrior (I have a feeling I will end up sticking with the Warrior and I'm sure the debate over which plane to stick with could be a thread in itself - opine if you wish). What are your suggestions for mount placement/position in these planes?

 

[denverpilot]

Away in the flight bag if it's a distraction to learning to fly.

You're learning skills that will determine if you survive for the next few decades, I'd leave the video toys at home and concentrate.

But that's just me.

 

[DrewG]

Away in the flight bag if it's a distraction to learning to fly.

You're learning skills that will determine if you survive for the next few decades, I'd leave the video toys at home and concentrate.

But that's just me.

While i get the spirit of your comment, it's not a distraction. I'm hoping to use it as a tool to reviewing and retaining the things learned during those lessons.

I can concentrate just fine. However, I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that the cockpit isn't exactly the perfect environment for retaining everything you've been told in the course of a lesson. I see this as simply another tool I can use to my benefit between lessons.

 

[frfly172]

Set it up and forget it,then review it after flight. Could be helpful in some of your lessons.

 

[tehmightypirate]

I've started recording my IFR lessons and mounted it to the side of my headset. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLyvySf2Zp8

I find this mounting location to be the best for personal reviews but it does pose a number of problems. First, a few people have commented that it makes them dizzy or make it hard to follow. Secondly, it's heavy. If you spin your head REALLY fast (faster than you would normally when flying) it will twist your headset. Could be a distraction if you're not conscious of that. It also can slightly get in the way a bit if you have a passenger and you both lean into the panel or something. I will say that these issues have been minor to non-existent for me but they do exist. The advantages of this mounting is it always looks in the direction you do. You can pan the camera without taking any hands off of the airplane. And it provides a good mount that goes with you between aircraft.

Other mounts I've seen work well are the 45 degree angle view forward from the passenger window using the suction mount. This gets the panel, you, the side, and one half of the forward view. Kinda like this view only a little more forward facing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58l6DVzQaKs

Oh, hey, that's the 152 I flew. It's a good video, guys gets all teary and everything.

Then there's the rear mounted option. This works well for the smaller 152s and some other aircraft I've seen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Aw2Zs9xK2A For many planes though the forward seats or seatbelts (172P for example) get in the way.

What I would do is take the GoPro and start recording and place it in many different places in the plane. Then, take that video home and see which ones you like the best and figure out a mounting option for it.

As for distractions, only once did it ever distract me and that was in a 152 with a Y splitter into the audio jack that came loose and caused me to loose audio in my headset on takeoff. Quick change out and I had it ripped out and thrown away. I've since replaced that audio jack and also have decided to avoid utilizing the same audio jack (such as plugging the audio into an empty back passenger jack in the rear).

Other than it suddenly falling off or getting in the way like mine did with audio I don't see any distraction and it's definitely helped me already to review my flights and learn many times what I would normally learn from a flight. Set it, turn it on (don't forget that part), and then you can forget it's there. Plus you get a neat memento to show people on PoA! Now you can show off those greaser landings.

P.S. Remember that the audio cable must have a way to reduce the dB coming from the panel. I had a few flights with no audio because I couldn't get my home-built resister cable to fix the audio properly.

 

[denverpilot]

While i get the spirit of your comment, it's not a distraction. I'm hoping to use it as a tool to reviewing and retaining the things learned during those lessons.



I can concentrate just fine. However, I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that the cockpit isn't exactly the perfect environment for retaining everything you've been told in the course of a lesson. I see this as simply another tool I can use to my benefit between lessons.

Fair enough. You got what I was saying.

If you can't leave it alone during lessons it's about the same as kids bringing cell phones to classrooms.

You might also ask the instructor if they care to be filmed out of courtesy, long before you show up at the classroom with a video camera.

 

[AggieMike88]

You might also ask the instructor if they care to be filmed out of courtesy, long before you show up at the classroom with a video camera.

Holy P. Flemming, Nate-man!

I agree with Nate... this works best if you can set it up and immediately forget about it until your pushing the plane back into the hangar. There are enough things to occupy your immediate attention without adding videography as a distraction.

And I can see a CFI going "That was a nice stall... now your engine failed, so what do you do? And by the way, your camera also failed." *click*

 

[DrewG]

Fair enough. You got what I was saying.

If you can't leave it alone during lessons it's about the same as kids bringing cell phones to classrooms.

You might also ask the instructor if they care to be filmed out of courtesy, long before you show up at the classroom with a video camera.

No, I want to set and forget. Hence my original reason for starting this thread in the first place. I sought out and was granted approval to do so ahead of time. I'd certainly appreciate that courtesy myself, where cameras are involved.

 

[ferrari-tech]

It is a fantastic learning tool. But for sure as others have said set it and forget it.

I used it with the blessing of my flight instructors, and found It invaluable as a resource for reviewing and reliving the lesson.

I mount mine with the suction cup mounted on the passenger window, just in front of the passengers ( instructors) head, its out of your line of site no matter what the maneuver so no distraction. I angle it so I could see my hands as well as out the front window.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNylxLc5iZI7uGxRx22BRfQ

I still use it, and still learn from it each flight, for instance yesterday I screwed up a touch and go at an unfamiliar airport, I thought I knew what I did wrong, reviewing the video later confirmed ( uncoordinated rudder/throttle inputs) and it didn't look as scary as it felt in real time

 

[ferrari-tech]

I was asked how I configure the suction cup mount.

Here you go