AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2021 - 62

When you first start out, create a
checklist of steps for successful filming.
Use it first as a to-do list and later, get
into a flow and use it as a checklist.
As a pilot you're already familiar with the best tool available to
help avoid these mistakes: a checklist. When you first start out, create
a checklist of steps for successful filming. Use it first as a to-do
list and later, get into a flow and use it as a checklist. As an example:
Night before
* Charge all batteries.
* Check and pack all accessories.
* Clean lenses.
Arrival at the airport
* Install batteries.
* Verify memory cards.
* Mount camera(s) before preflighting.
* Plug in audio accessories.
Start-up
* Turn on camera.
* Start recording.
* Shut down.
* Stop recording.
* Turn off camera.
* Remove and repack mounts.
Arrival at home
* Download clips and clean off card.
Clearly much of this list is basic, but it will help organize your
thoughts and make sure you don't miss the many little steps that
must occur along the way. As you gain experience you can get into
more of a flow that includes when to charge the batteries and clean
off the memory cards.
Even with good preparation, mistakes will happen.
NFlightcam's Patrick Carter thinks perhaps the most serious
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AOPA PILOT / October 2021
mistake is when a camera isn't properly mounted. " Sticky mounts
occasionally work if you are very aware of what you're doing, "
he said. " Suction cups are just a really bad idea all the time. " He
explained that as you climb, the air inside the mount expands
and may pop it off the airplane.
Mounting cameras externally is a source of constant debate.
Is it legal? Does a mechanic have to be involved? What about a
Form 337? The debate continues because like a lot of things having
to do with alterations, the answer isn't always clear. To be
considered a major alteration, the FAA says that it must have an
appreciable effect on weight and balance, airworthiness, performance,
and so on. But these determinations are made on
a case-by-case basis and are at the discretion of the installer.
Anything not major is considered minor and requires only a logbook
entry. But what about suction cup mounts that are applied
and then taken off each flight? Clearly you're not going to sign
it off every time.
In a 2014 memo, an FAA manager in the maintenance division
said that suction cup mounts didn't rise to the level of an alteration
and needed no intervention from a mechanic. However,
he also said the pilot could be subject to a careless and reckless
violation, given that they have been known to fall off in flight.
NFlightCam has a white paper saying its custom-machined
external mounts are minor alterations and need only a logbook
entry. Given the semi-permanent nature of the mount, it could
be worth a few minutes of your mechanic's time to keep the
mount legal.
After that, it's just a matter of making sure you turn on the
camera. ian.twombly@aopa.org
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2021

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