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By 4535jacks
#1526302
I am looking at recording a few of my flights and so I was looking for some recommendations as to what equipment I should purchase for the job.

I have noticed that Go Pros are widely used but should I try and get the newest version - the Go Pro Hero 5 - or will the new features be of no use for filming flights? Is the new anti-vibration system any good?

What mounts will I need to attach to wing struts?

Are they any mounts that people would recommend for mounting to a flat surface inside the cabin?

Do I need one of those see-through cases?

How many cameras are required to produce a semi-decent video?

How do you record ATC messages and your own voice through the headset mic?

Thanks in advance.
By morticiaskeeper
#1526308
I've recently purchased a go pro copy from a well known auction site. The quality is good enough for me, and at £30, I can afford to lose it from the Kayak it's attached to.

The club have a C42 with mounts under each wing, on the tail and in the cockpit looking forwards and backwards. Sound is taken from the headset sockets, although the cheaper cameras haven't got an audio input.

Perhaps the cheaper models could go outside, with a sound enabled Hero inside?
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By 4535jacks
#1526334
My initial thoughts were using three cameras: One on the instrument panel coaming looking backwards, one behind my head or in the RHS looking forward over the nose and then one one a wing strut point towards the aircraft. When filming aerotowing I will most likely place the one looking backward outside of the cabin so it can see the towed glider. One of the aircraft I tow with already has Go Pro mounts on both wings hence why I am tending towards them. I will look into the Sony Action Cams though Paul so thanks.
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1526335
You can usually fit most camera on the GoPro mounts, there are all sorts of adaptors available. Usually the cheap Chinese cameras come with a whole load of them!
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By 4535jacks
#1527835
I would like to film in 1080p @ 60FPS and so I can get away with the cheaper GoPro Hero+. However the new GoPros have image stabilisation. Would stabilisation have a big advantage when filming flights?

Should I just bite the bullet and buy the more expensive ones?
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By Nick T
#1528008
The Garmin Virb Ultra is an excellent camera. Various sensors built in which record metrics from the flight. Far better than my Hero 4.

I also use the Hero 4 as a 'secondary' camera, for an outside viewpoint.

And I have an Olfi One.Five as a cheap third camera. Has lots of good features but quality not quite up with the Hero and Virb.

ATC recorded via a USB cable that plugs in to the passenger headset jack port.



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By 4535jacks
#1528076
How do you record ATC and intercom if you have a passenger so all headset jacks are used by headsets? Do you record ATC through the VIRB/GoPro, a smart phone or through a dictaphone?

I regularly fly with passengers and also I would like to film my flights in a single seater Pawnee which only has a single headset socket.

Nick, how do you find the battery life on. VIRB as I have read that it doesn't last as long as the GoPro?
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By Nick T
#1528200
My experience so far is that the VIRB battery far outlasts the GoPro one. Get just over an hour on GoPro. Get about an hour and a half, maybe more on the VIRB. YMMV.

As far as the recording ATC goes - I've got one of these... http://www.transair.co.uk/sp+Garmin-Act ... -VIRB+2896

It has a passthru for the speaker - so you plug one end of that cable into the speaker socket, the other in the VIRB, then you plug the speaker plug of your headset in the cable and the mic plug in the mic socket in the plane. Nice and easy tbh :)
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By 4535jacks
#1528202
Thanks Nick, I am keen to not pay transair prices if I can help it. For example the VIRB Ultra 30 is £550 on their website and only £325 on Amazon UK but I guess Transair has added Aviation into product description which means it is instantly £225 more expensive!

I am thinking of recording ATC through the iPad which will be located closer to the instrument panel removing the requirement to run cables back behind me. I am just concerned that since I sold my aircraft over the weekend I will now be renting a variety of aircraft with direct radio installs and if an intercom is pumping out stereo it could mess things up for me.
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1528209
Naw. Just connect the two channels together (via resistors), or just use the one channel. If it's a stereo intercom with stereo jacks, it'll put the radio and intercom out on both channels. Or just use a mono plug! :D
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By Nick T
#1528231
Just as a note - the Transair VIRB is the aviation pack which means it comes with the camera, headset cable, prop filter and skeleton case.

I just bought the VIRB from an internet dealer cheaply and added the skeleton case from Amazon and headset cable from Flightstore. Didn't bother with the prop filter. Worked out much cheaper.
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By 4535jacks
#1528321
Nick T wrote:No, but it provides access to the USB port, which is what you'll need if you're connecting up the headset jack I linked to above...


Ah, I see, that is definitely worth considering. I also believe that I can plug in a mini-usb charger connected to a cigarette light plug and run the camera off of the aircraft's battery so I don't have to worry about battery life.

Thanks again.

I am just selling a Garmin 496 and once sold I will order a VIRB Ultra 30 with SD card, skeleton case, tripod and GoPro mount bundle.

Edit: I have done a bit of research and it seems i may be able use some adapters off of amazon to connect the intercom to a audio recorder and so I have ordered the bits for a grand total of £10. I have also bought another adapter for £5 that will allow me to record through a iPhone or iPad. I am dubious and will report back.
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