Got me a GoPro...Excited indeed.

[Henning]

My biggest personal worry about the gopro isn't that it would fall off in straight and level cruise (really, how likely is it to hit someone?) but that it would fall off after a hard landing. Now I have a camera with footage that can identify me sitting on an active runway. I better park the plane quick and run out there before it gets sucked into the next departing jet.... It would be a real mess at an airport with any traffic at all. That and I figured out there was a good chance the FAA would not be thrilled about any sort of external mount without any paperwork...

Paranoia will destroy ya... You don't have to **** up.

 

[poadeleted21]

Paranoia will destroy ya... You don't have to **** up.

What's the reward for doing something that is likely not something the FBO wants you to do and probably illegal? You get to torture your friends and family with brain numbingly boring video of a Cessna 172 in flight or even better put it on YouTube and incriminate yourself for the entire world to see? The FAA probably won't chime in on these homebrewed wingnut strut mounts until someone takes out their elevator and augers it in or leaves one on the runway for someone else to run over. Probably because for now they're happy being able to find offenders from the comfort of their office chair.

 

[Henning]

What's the reward for doing something that is likely not something the FBO wants you to do and probably illegal? You get to torture your friends and family with brain numbingly boring video of a Cessna 172 in flight or even better put it on YouTube and incriminate yourself for the entire world to see? The FAA probably won't chime in on these homebrewed wingnut strut mounts until someone takes out their elevator and augers it in or leaves one on the runway for someone else to run over. Probably because for now they're happy being able to find offenders from the comfort of their office chair.

Why do you have to incriminate yourself? I've got two landings and a take off on YouTube, incriminate me of something....

 

[Henning]

But that is besides the point, you want their money so you provide a solid mount ball using the jack point fitting screws. Provide a safe anchor and take their money. That is what a leaseback plane is about, getting people to spend money on your depreciable property. You can chase away business or you can provide for business. I'm not sure anymore which y'all would go with.

 

[poadeleted21]

But that is besides the point, you want their money so you provide a solid mount ball using the jack point fitting screws. Provide a safe anchor and take their money. That is what a leaseback plane is about, getting people to spend money on your depreciable property. You can chase away business or you can provide for business. I'm not sure anymore which y'all would go with.

Hey, if there's enough demand for it, let's work with the FSDO to get an approved mount installed and allow GoPros for folks that own them or rent them out for 5 bucks an hour to those who don't. What I'm saying is, I wouldn't want anyone cooking up something in their basement out of partical board and elmer's glue attaching it to the airframe of my plane. No, I wouldn't trust the general walk-in renters judgement on how or where to attach a suction mount or a homebrew mount. Ask me first, I'll probably say no, let 10 people ask me, and I'll figure out way to make it work. Letting anyone and everyone attach whatever they want however they want, never. Don't ask me anything and do it anyway, I'm POed.

 

[Henning]

Hey, if there's enough demand for it, let's work with the FSDO to get an approved mount installed and allow GoPros for folks that own them or rent them out for 5 bucks an hour to those who don't. What I'm saying is, I wouldn't want anyone cooking up something in their basement out of partical board and elmer's glue attaching it to the airframe of my plane. No, I wouldn't trust the general walk-in renters judgement on how or where to attach a suction mount or a homebrew mount. Ask me first, I'll probably say no, let 10 people ask me, and I'll figure out way to make it work. Letting anyone and everyone attach whatever they want however they want, never.

Dude, the FSDO wants nothing to do with this, there are perfectly good ways to do this that do not require wasting tax payer time and money.

 

[poadeleted21]

Dude, the FSDO wants nothing to do with this, there are perfectly good ways to do this that do not require wasting tax payer time and money.

How? It seems the FAA is being deliberately quiet about the legalities of it. It kind of depends on what regulation you want to read and selectively apply to come to the conclusion you want. From my limited amount of reading on the subject, I'd deduce that it's probably illegal. I seriously doubt that anyone get's a letter from the FAA stating otherwise. Have an incident with the mount/camera involved and you'd better be prepared to defend the legality of it. I'm not sure "I built this in my basement and clamped it to the strut with wing nuts instead of hex head" is going to cut it.

 

[CT4ME]

The strobes are mounted with one bolt, one bolt holds each antenna, one pin holds a door hinge, one bolt may hold a tire or a pant. In fact, one strategic bolt/nut/screw, is all that keeps us each from becoming falling debris ourselves. I don't see the difference. Rules/Regs are created when something happens on a regular enough basis, that it must be controlled. I haven't seen this as a problem, yet.

 

[poadeleted21]

The strobes are mounted with one bolt, one bolt holds each antenna, one pin holds a door hinge, one bolt may hold a tire or a pant. In fact, one strategic bolt/nut/screw, is all that keeps us each from becoming falling debris ourselves. I don't see the difference. Rules/Regs are created when something happens on a regular enough basis, that it must be controlled. I haven't seen this as a problem, yet.

One bolt strategically engineered by professionals with a financial stake in getting it right, flight tested by pros and approved airworthy by the FAA through a very lengthy, thorough and expensive process with lawyers and insurance companies backing that one bolt up.

You can either go read about what constitutes a minor alteration or see what the FAA has to say about external loads on airplanes, pick which one you think applies and interpret it to the outcome you want, Then, hope you don't have to explain your reasoning to an FAA employee one day.

 

[Henning]

How? It seems the FAA is being deliberately quiet about the legalities of it. It kind of depends on what regulation you want to read and selectively apply to come to the conclusion you want. From my limited amount of reading on the subject, I'd deduce that it's probably illegal. I seriously doubt that anyone get's a letter from the FAA stating otherwise. Have an incident with the mount/camera involved and you'd better be prepared to defend the legality of it. I'm not sure "I built this in my basement and clamped it to the strut with wing nuts instead of hex head" is going to cut it.

In America the general legal principle is if it is not expressly forbidden, it is allowed. That is the definition of freedom. The FAA has not said anything for a reason, they don't want this. They are letting this self regulate as the risk to others is low.

That clamp design that is displayed by OP is perfect, that would be viewed as perfectly acceptable by a DER or MIDO rep. It also requires no specific approval by rule already defined.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

Oliver's videos is what finally made me pull the trigger on buying one. All I need to do is get my settings to mirror his.



Kim - We need to get on that bay tour ASAP!

I'm around (sort of). Just let me know when!

This weekend is OK, then I'm off to the Reno Air Races, then I'm back after September 18. Most week nights / weekends work for me (with some exceptions).