In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

[SkyvanDelta]

Think if all the planes were recommended/required/reimbursed... to have multiple on board cameras which were then downloaded and stored on some site where the fans/viewers could watch it for free at anytime and copy and edit these videos and then we could watch it later after the racing is over?

I'm thinking the future is in the onboard cameras. There is so much happening while racing that could be viewed later, it seems a shame not to keep this footage. So much is lost forever.

AAFO fans could make their own videos, post them on youtube and we could talk about these videos for a whole year until the next year races come around.

[Race5]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

Think if all the planes were required to have multiple on board cameras which were then downloaded and stored on some site where the fans/viewers could watch it for free at anytime and copy and edit these videos and then we could watch it later after the racing is over?

I'm thinking the future is in the onboard cameras. There is so much happening while racing that could be viewed later, it seems a shame not to keep this footage.

AAFO fans could make their own videos, post them on youtube and we could talk about these videos for a whole year until the next year races come around.

One class is talking about live on-board feed back to a jumbo tron screen like Red Bull was doing. We had several of the Hero HD mini cameras stuck to our aircraft this year and the footage is fantastic. Unfortunately we can't release any of the footage to the public for various reasons.

[flyingjibus]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

Unfortunately we can't release any of the footage to the public for various reasons

Such as?

Honestly I am suprised everyone isn't running one these days.

In historic auto racing you are required to have one.

[jarrodeu]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

While I enjoy seeing cockpit video I don't think it should be required. If they post video, great. If not, well it is their airplane.

Jarrod

[Race5]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

Such as?

Honestly I am suprised everyone isn't running one these days.

In historic auto racing you are required to have one.

Mostly because we were recording some things for test data that we don't want anyone outside the team to see.

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

One class is talking about live on-board feed back to a jumbo tron screen like Red Bull was doing.

The problem with the jumbotron screen, is the footage is just shown for a moment and then gone. Some director is choosing what looks the best at the moment as the race is underway...

Sometimes, after the event is over, is when you can study the footage and choose the absolute best.

And only the die hard race/video fan will take the time to choose and edit the best footage. Most businesses which produce DVD's want to get in and out and produce something and move on. The fan will continue to view and edit what's available...

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

While I enjoy seeing cockpit video I don't think it should be required. If they post video, great. If not, well it is their airplane.
Jarrod

Think of it like this. How many people attend the races? In the big picture, only a small group attend.

There are 8 billion people on this planet. The internet has made events like this available to everyone, regardless of where they live.

If this footage was made available and everyone paid $1 or whatever to have the ability to watch what was shot, there would be an additional source of income to cover the costs of installing the cameras and maintaining the website and upping the prize money. So now you have a lot more people who could potentially contribute to the income of RARA and the planes/crew...

[race9]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

For the unlimiteds, it may be possible to put cameras in the cockpit, but some cockpits are so small that you wouldn't be able to see much. Cameras on the outside would just be extra drag for an entertainment value, and the pilots may not like it.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

With the lipstick-size/weight digital cams they have now for under $200, you could place several around a plane inside and outside and possibly not even notice them.

The new ones are self contained for video storage and power, so no wiring would be necessary either. My friends and I are installing them on our mountain bike helmets.

The only hassle I could see would be having to access each camera to push their RECORD button one by one just before take-off (one hour recording limit on some). Small hassle for great footage.

[Mluvara]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

Cameras have come a long way. We had four cameras in Voodoo this year ranging from $300-$600 solid state recording cameras to a professional lipstick system. Here's a few of the views.

The Hero from Gopro is a very good camera and a popular choice. Will record for several hours and is in HD. Only limiting factor is the battery life and the fact that the camera's shutter speed can't really be changed (only way is a filter) and it leaves the camera phone type props.

Few examples attached and there will be some video published in the future.

Michael

[shorebird]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

I like that 2nd photo of Will, looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.

[BKB]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

I like that 2nd photo of Will, looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Yes,and both hands on the stick?

[T. Adams]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

I love the Ego XL.

[MRussell]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

I didn't know you could fly with the turtle deck open. How cool.

[Scotty G]

Re: In cockpit and on board cameras the trend towards the future?

SkyvanDelta,

We ran two cameras outside of our Lancair this year. I used aluminum tape to place and hold the cameras, and built up a fairing around them. We found at our speeds, they made zero difference on speed/drag. We went faster every race we flew.

We saw some interesting ways to mount the GoPros... Other people had them sticking out in the breeze on a vertical mount with no fairing attempts made. One of the jets had one on the vertical tail head-on to the breeze. Ernie Sutter had some put on his plane; they were simply taped to the top of the wing and stuck up about 4 or 5 inches. "We've tested these to 500 mph," said the guy putting it on. That seemed amazing to me. They didn't come off Ernie's plane, even though I would have guessed they would. It didn't look taped on very well, but it obviously works.

As for letting the raw footage out, I'm not for that at all. It's our property and used for entertainment and educational purposes. Sometimes, things happen out there that are caught on video, and we'd rather not have people seeing it out of context or using it for nefarious purposes.

I wish we could get people to pay for viewing the footage we put together, though... That would be nice if we could generate another $500 or so towards expenses. But with today's attitude towards "free domain" content on the internet and free viewing on YouTube/Vimeo/FB - that will be a hard nut to crack.

I'll tell you, though... I play these videos back to see what I could have done better, and how to make changes to become a better race pilot in the future.