Talking Heads

steve_ford_author

steve_ford_author

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Steve Ford
Following another recent tragedy....I am interested to hear from other instructors their thoughts on students filming flights?

As an instructor, I will get the debate going and put it out there right from the get go....I am against it!....... In fact I feel so strongly about it I won't allow students to strap cameras in the cabin and make Youtube videos.

Why some of you may ask?

Several reasons, the main one being is I find it is a complete distraction. The student is often more interested in how the pictures are framed and whether what they are wearing clashes, than training and concentrating on the task in hand...flying!

If they have "spare" time to be a "Youtuber", edit clips and become "Instafamous"......it's time better spent with the head in the books and training modules.

What I want to see, is if they can work out with a weight and balance/performance calculation if it`s a good idea to run up to Big Bear in July, with their buddies when they have a Private ticket and take off safely after lunch without having to get the NTSB involved :rolleyes:

Much more important than the number of likes and followers on Youtube.

As for strapping kit on the outside airframe to film.....with my A & P hat on....don`t get me started :mad:
 
Not a CFI here.

When I was finishing up PPL my instructor said my short field landings needed work. I disagreed with him and trained a couple solo flights doing them, positioned my iphone in such a manner to capture several landings with exterior and G5 sight picture. It was sufficient to tell me that I did okay on the landings. I posted them online, shared here, and got some additional feedback, mostly about a particular fault of mine at the time. I did not understand the comments until my checkride when the DPE yelled at me "I will fail you if you step on the rudder before turning again!"

I think if filming is done to capture video evidence to review the flight after the fact that it can serve as an important part of training.

I subsequently learned about Cloud Ahoy and advocate its use for similar reasons.
 
You are the CFI. However when I was getting my training, video would have come in handy. I could have used one, I just didn’t have one available.

How about this: allow only 1 camera and you dictate where it is placed to allow the student to use it for learning. Interior placement showing yoke, airspeed, coordination, etc., but also a view of the horizon/ground?

Or this: if your student appears capable, allow the camera on a subsequent flight. Or if they seem like they need a little work to learn something, maybe video might help. Then if all’s not well, then rescind the permission to film.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
You are the CFI. However when I was getting my training, video would have come in handy. I could have used one, I just didn’t have one available.

How about this: allow only 1 camera and you dictate where it is placed to allow the student to use it for learning. Interior placement showing yoke, airspeed, coordination, etc., but also a view of the horizon/ground?

Or this: if your student appears capable, allow the camera on a subsequent flight. Or if they seem like they need a little work to learn something, maybe video might help. Then if all’s not well, then rescind the permission to film.
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Excellent approach.... now we are talking about a training aid and using it as a solution to facilitate the learning process. Something we often do with full flight simulators. Well said....I agree.
 
steve_ford_author said:
Excellent approach.... now we are talking about a training aid and using it as a solution to facilitate the learning process. Something we often do with full flight simulators. Well said....I agree.
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Instructor makes the video, instructor controls the video, video only usable privately with the instructor and student.
 
4RNB said:
I think if filming is done to capture video evidence to review the flight after the fact that it can serve as an important part of training.
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Yep.....that is the point and I am glad it is getting people to think about what is reasonable and where the line is crossed.

There is an old adage "If you put five pilots in a room you will get ten opinions!"

This is one of them.... to clarify...I completely agree with it as a training aid for a student and instructor. It is the "Show boating" that I have found causes an issue and at the end of the day it will come down to the student/instructor dynamic.
 
Not a CFI, but I taught skydiving for a long time where I would video most student jumps. I found it very useful.

For example, I would tell the student they were turning because they stuck their leg out and they would swear they didn't. When they saw the video, they got it and it stuck. I think the student mind is pretty busy processing new stuff and it's helpful to review it with a calm mind.

I strongly agree it should be under the control of the instructor. I never let a student wear a camera either.
 
Non-CFI. But I don't think it's wise for a student to film themselves.
If they insist, I would say only a camera a couple feet behind their head mounted to look right down the runway. Out of sight, out of mind.
In 0 cases do I think it's appropriate to setup dash cams, window cams, wing cams, ... for a student. Makes flying as much about getting glamour photos as it does about paying attention. I see absolutely no good coming from that.
View was reinforced this summer when my student pilot friend sailed through (>500' above) her cruising altitude and busted Chicago Bravo b/c she was trying to do multiple photo/video shoots in the cockpit on one of her first solos. Totally stupid reason to f up IMHO.
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
If they insist, I would say only a camera a couple feet behind their head mounted to look right down the runway. Out of sight, out of mind.
In 0 cases do I think it's appropriate to setup dash cams, window cams, wing cams, ... for a student.
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One option I’ve used is to just attach a GoPro to the brim of a baseball cap. Pretty closely follows where the student is looking, so its obvious if he’s looking for traffic.

Example here:

 
About two years ago I had a student who used three GoPro cameras. Two in the cockpit, looking fore and aft, and one on bottom of the empennage. I never had a sense that he was playing to the cameras, and as far as I know, nothing ever went to YouTube. But a few days after he got his private certificate he posted a very nicely edited video on Facebook.
 
midlifeflyer said:
That works but watching makes me dizzy.
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Stipulated it’s not ideal, but it’s a “quick and dirty” solution to where to stick a GoPro, and I think simulating a pilot’s focus is a nice feature. I wonder if a newer GoPro or equivalent might be able to provide some stabilization and limit the jerkiness a bit.
 
steve_ford_author said:
Excellent approach.... now we are talking about a training aid and using it as a solution to facilitate the learning process. Something we often do with full flight simulators. Well said....I agree.
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I am working with a finish up instrument student now. I bought a new camera a few weeks ago and asked the pilot whether I could mount it during a lesson. The plan was just to try it out to see if I was happy with the quality, but the video has turned out to be invaluable.

Location - behind us mounted on the shade shield of a DA40.

1702388987548.png
 
FastEddieB said:
Stipulated it’s not ideal, but it’s a “quick and dirty” solution to where to stick a GoPro, and I think simulating a pilot’s focus is a nice feature. I wonder if a newer GoPro or equivalent might be able to provide some stabilization and limit the jerkiness a bit.
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I can't speak to the GoPro or head location, but the software stabilization I've seen actually makes it worse when flying. I tried it in my new camera and it seems in an attempt to stabilize the large outside view, the panel floats all around the frame. I suspect it's about the difference in the number of dimensions of movement when flying and riding a bike.
 
steve_ford_author said:
Several reasons, the main one being is I find it is a complete distraction. The student is often more interested in how the pictures are framed and whether what they are wearing clashes, than training and concentrating on the task in hand...flying!
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The pilots I've worked with do what I do - set it and forget it. But they're not using it to make a YouTube fortune.
 
Not a CFI, nor a YouTuber but occasionally I get cameras in the cockpit mostly to create memories, once the cameras are set I forget about them and go into airplane mode, start the preflight, check list, etc.

Then the engine come on.

In the recent accidents the problem is not the cameras but any distraction from flying duties, being playing with the avionics, EFBs, etc.

My GDL-50 fell down in flight and distracted me, Garmin Pilot start flashing red(didn'tknow it was because the GDL-50 fell down), ATC talking everything at the same time.

Back to basics, fly the plane and forget about everything else, told ATC to standby, ask my son to troubleshoot the Garmin Pilot while I got back to ATC and keep going.

My point is the minor distraction or annoyance from flying have consequences.
 
I film all of my flights. But it is in no way so that I can review them later and learn from my mistakes :)

I am pretty good at ignoring them but having them in the plane in the off chance that you get an experience like this is just awesome.

 
jrhillma said:
I would listen to them more, but I have a Fear of Music.


(Disclaimer: Talking Heads are my favorite band of all time; and I'm a moderately old dude)
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I had only ever heard the one song but then I was on tik Tok the other day and the singer David, was doing some concert with somebody I forget and then I just went down the talking heads rabbit hole learning about their music.

I want to listen to their entire catalog.
They only predate me by just a little bit and their style of music was something I was never really into but I started looking up their stuff and listening to it and it's actually really interesting music.
 
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