Tips: GoPro Filming In-Flight (Commercial and Private Flying)

A few months ago, my brothers and I purchased a GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition. They use it for skateboarding, surfing, and other videos. I on the other hand, have found a great use for it in my flying; for training, fun, and when I fly commercially. I have yet to try filming flights from the exterior of the plane, although I plan to try that soon. The following article details how I am using my GoPro and why it can be a good asset for any pilot. 
For Pilots:

Not only is the GoPro a cool thing to have, but it can be a very helpful asset for any pilot. You can (and should) record your landings, takeoffs, maneuvers and radio calls, so that you can review your decisions post-flight. I've found this to be extremely helpful after a flight.

Here are some reasons why you should consider using a GoPro:

• You can review your flights and procedures, to double check what you did
• See what errors you made
• See what you did right, and keep doing it!
• The GoPro can be plugged into the radio system of the aircraft 
• I've noticed mistakes I've made when flying and in particular, during landings. For me, I saw that on a few landings, I was coming in slightly too fast which meant that by the time I began to flare, the ground effect would be greatly multiplied. The plane wouldn't want to settle down at all, and a few times, began to climb slightly. Nothing bad happened as a result of that small mistake, just an extended roll down the runway and a little bumpier landing than I would've liked.

I've tried mounting my GoPro in different areas of the plane which can be challenging sometimes. It doesn't always work out. I now have a head-strap mount which I am excited to try out. In addition, I will be purchasing new chords so that I can record my radio transmissions.

Below are a few photo examples of mounting a GoPro to the interior of a plane. There are also two videos attached, which demonstrate good angles for GoPro use.

Flight Training:
Personally, I've found it to be a big asset having the ability to use the GoPro camera in flight, for training purposes. Below are some videos from my training including my first solo flight (GoPro wasn't mounted in the best spot... oh well.

Commercial Flights:

Last week, I tried flying using my GoPro to record an entire (well, most of) a flight from RIC to CLT in a time-lapse style video. It turned out really well. In this case, I was sitting next to my brother (who sat middle); there was another man on the aisle. After the initial climb, I noticed that the man on the aisle had fallen asleep, so I decided it would be a good time to try a GoPro video. The camera mounted on the plane window obviously looks pretty strange and out of place. Because of this, the flight attendants kindly asked what it was. After I explained what I was trying to do, they were fine with it and complimented me on the idea. I'm sure it could go either way... I got lucky this time! :)

Below, I have included photos of how I mounted the camera in addition to the time-lapse video from the flight.

Thanks for reading and watching! Have a great week!
Swayne Martin