New Miniaturized Video Recorders Provide A Cool Way To Share Recreational Aviation With Others, But Let’s Make Sure We’re Using Them Safely

When it comes to the sport and recreational side of aviation, having fun in the sky is even better when you can share it with others. Now we have a new way to share…it’s called the miniature video recorder. These little gadgets seem to be a perfect combination of technology and fun in our aviation activities. However, there is a dark side to this sharing tool that we need to take a look at.

The use of these cameras is particularly popular when the activity is not conducive to taking somebody along for the ride, and the various forms of skydiving are the perfect example of this.

We recently came across an article published in Danger Zone which pointed out that a protruding video camera being worn by a skydiver camera can get in the way of a safe parachute deployment. One example of this was a base jumper wearing a chest camera taking leap that became fatal because the camera tangled in the parachute lines.

Another issue regarding skydiving is the use of extension rods as mounting devices on the camera. Such devices are more easily entangled in the parachute shrouds and can also limit necessary head movement for safe operation. The use of cameras in skydiving is recognized by the United States Parachute Association (USPA) as being an activity that requires experience. USPA safety rules recommend that a skydiver have completed at least 200 jobs before using a camera.

We have also seen increased use of these miniature cameras on our aircraft. They are a good safety tool when mounted in the cockpit to record a first flight of a home-built experimental airplane because data can be reviewed after the flight. Of course, it’s also fun just to be able to video a flight and then show it to anyone that you can get to hold still long enough. There’s not much of a safety issue here as long as the camera is in the cockpit, but when the camera is mounted to the exterior of the aircraft, safety can be a concern.

The obvious concern regarding a camera detaching from the exterior of an aircraft is the cost of losing the camera. The safety issue is; what is the camera attached to, and if it comes loose, can it strike anything on the airplane that could lead to critical structural damage? This is particularly important if flying an aircraft with a pusher propeller. At ANN, we use these miniature cameras mounted inside the cockpit and outside the aircraft to produce our video programs, and we make certain they are safely secured.

Lights, camera, action! Enjoy your movie making but be safe.

(Image provided by GoPro)

FMI: www.uspa.org