Shooting video from a Yak while flying

[Mark Suszko]

Is the plane going to be doing aerobatics? Then the camera mountings have to be set up for high g-forces and the install will have to be signed off by an FAA inspector, or the pilot could lose his license. Not to mention his life, should the thing go flying around the cabin and hit him in the eye or head while maneuvering, or interfere with the rudder pedals, control cables, or stick travel.

If it is a gentle, no-stunts flagpole-circling cruise around the pea patch we’re talking about, you *might* get away with gaffer taping a small lipstick camera or ice cube POV type tightly to some part of the cabin structure. You’d run a cable from there with more gaffer tape to a recording deck tightly strapped into the second seat.

Forget suction cups.

A lipstick cam is good for this because it has small size and low mass, can be put almost anywhere with confidence it will STAY there. Don’t even consider a handicam for this: it will become a deadly missile in the cabin under sudden accellerations.

You should probably consult the local FAA safety inspector regardless, before proceeding.

[Jmichael]

Two options that might work for you: 1) wear a helmet cam or lipstick cam mounted on your headset, 2) if you need static views out a window, a lipstick cam on a RAM mount clamped to an internal frame member might work – vibration can be an issue. A temporary installation should not require an STC so long as the camera is not mounted on the exterior of the aircraft, but you can call the local FSDO for confirmation. Make sure you secure the cable and camera that your lipstick cam is recording to, you don’t want anything flying around during a maneuver.