Mounting Video Cameras in Cockpit for Flight Instruction

Wm226

Well-Known Member
Have any flight instructors tried mounting a video camera in their cockpits? I would like to try this so that I can go back and review tape with students.

Also, if any of you have done this -- what type of camera equipment do you use?

What type of camera mount do you use? How long does it take to mount and dismount? What type of camera? And how do you capture ATC and in-aircraft comms?
 
Have any flight instructors tried mounting a video camera in their cockpits? I would like to try this so that I can go back and review tape with students.

Also, if any of you have done this -- what type of camera equipment do you use?

What type of camera mount do you use? How long does it take to mount and dismount? What type of camera? And how do you capture ATC and in-aircraft comms?
I tried it and it was pretty pointless

I used a suction cup mount off of ebay, which works really well; it was designed for car dashboards. I had a Sony camcorder on it.

Mounting and getting shots was really easy. The problem was that the video you got was not very useful in instruction. You could not really see where mistakes occured.

I felt that if the instructor is not correcting mistakes as they happen then looking at tape later will not correct mistakes after the fact.
 
Your best bet is having someone actually shooting what it is you want to highlight. If the student is doing steep turns, maybe be tight on the altimeter. Try having someone ride along with a small DV cam on a monopod in the backseat.
 
Google Gorillapod for any mounting needs. I have one of these, and they take about 5 seconds to set up, and you can position the camera however you need. Very versatile.
 
You should Join NAFI. There December magazine (mentor) had an an article about about recording lessons.

Here is the audio solution they suggest.
1. Digital audio recorder with a 1/8 inch miniplug microphone jack.
2. An audio cable with a 1/4 inch monophonic plug at one end and a 1/8 inch mono plug at the other end.
That is it for a four place aircraft that is equipped with a four place intercom system.
For the the two seaters "you will need a splitter to plug into the intercom jack. Plug the headphone into one of the splitter sockets, and the recorder into the other."

good luck
 
Have any flight instructors tried mounting a video camera in their cockpits? I would like to try this so that I can go back and review tape with students.

Also, if any of you have done this -- what type of camera equipment do you use?

What type of camera mount do you use? How long does it take to mount and dismount? What type of camera? And how do you capture ATC and in-aircraft comms?

Like this one I made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP-lHZie0o4

It was fun, but I didn't find it useful for instructions. Nothing better than a CFI correcting things on the spot and a through debrief while the students takes notes.

Or when I was getting them ready for a 141 stagecheck and checkride I would make a list of stuff they could improve on. It was very detailed. I called it a "fix it list". I said i you can fix these things, than you are good to go. Detailed feedback was important in my training, but my CFIs never took the time to write things down for me. Wish they did.
 
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