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External cameras - performance, mounting and legal issues

"a glass window and a remotely controlled camera behind it. It won't affect the airfoil, so no flight testing should be required."

Not sure how you'd do this - presumably it would at least have to have a small 45 degree mirror outside the inspection hatch?

EuropaBoy
EGBW

EuropaBoy, I simply mean to install the camera at an acute angle to the window, pointing it slightly down. It will obviously cause some Fresnel losses, but it will be within one F-stop or so.

Alternatively, the same inspection hole can be used for a remotely controlled pan-tilt-zoom camera in a hemispherical transparent enclosure (originally intended for surveillance). Such a "pimple" under the wing will obviously interfere with the airflow, but probably a lot less than any other external contraption. Unfortunately, high-definition cameras of this type cost upwards of 2k.

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

In this accident the on board movie camera recorded the whole lot prior to the impact...

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I would be very wary of sticking anything to aircraft windshields with suction cups.

An aircraft which I flew was recently sold, and one of the the Pilots had stuck a sun shade on the windscreen a few times. For some reason it left small marks on the screen which were just a tiny bit etched into the screen, presumably by some reaction.

This totally unforeseen eventuality cost over €30,000 to put right. The screen had to be changed.

Darley Moor, Gamston (UK)
Boffin at large
Various, southern UK.

GoPro cameras are being used more and more these days, to capture the wonderful art of flying. But what are the implications?

In this I mean:
- Aircraft performance? (Does it have influence? Probably depending on where it is mounted/placed on the aircraft)
- Legal/illegal to attach (temporarily) a camera on the outside of the aircraft?
- Insurance issues? What in case of an accident and the insurer found out cameras where attached to the aircraft; could this be an issue?
- Distraction when controlling the cameras when one is flying?

Any thoughts or experience on this?

Edited; to get the list straight and make the text more readable.

EHLE (Lelystad - NL), Netherlands

Aircraft performance? (Does it have influence? Probably depending on where it is mounted/placed on the aircraft)

Nope. None whatsoever.

Legal/illegal to attach a camera on the outside of the aircraft?

The words 'can' and 'worms' come to mind....

Insurance issues? What in case of an accident and the insurer found out cameras where attached to the aircraft; could this be an issue?

No idea

Distraction when controlling the cameras when one is flying?

While the WiFi works very well, it also guzzles battery. So, in reality, if the camera is mounted outside you're better off starting it manually while still on the ground.

[quotes cleaned up - avoid loads of spaces at start of lines as these trigger the "code" option]

Insurance issues?

I think insurers must love these cameras; if I would be one of them I would give them to pilots for free. With a lifelong supply of spare batteries and storage cards. It must be like a dream: pilots not only producing bullet proof first hand evidence against themselves, but even showing it to the world via YouTube! "Look, I just crashed my aeroplane. And got everything on video. See for yorself!"

Legal/illegal to attach (temporarily) a camera on the outside of the aircraft?

Don't know about homebuilts and microlights, but any unapproved modification to a CofA aircraft in EASAland invalidates the CofA. Very simple. (In a former life I have done airwork with modified aircraft carrying externally mounted devices and was also involved in the certification and test flying. Lots of (paper)work involved). Better find a suitable spot inside your aeroplane. And attach the camera in an inflight-removable way, otherwise it becomes a permanent installation which again has to be certified. How great a risk you take of getting caught, I don't know. Probably as usual: If nothing happens, no one will ask questions...

EDDS - Stuttgart

And make sure it sticks. This summer a PA28 lost it's GoPro on take off in Friedrichshafen, it was fun to watch. The not so funny part is FOD for the next plane.

United Kingdom

And attach the camera in an inflight-removable way, otherwise it becomes a permanent installation which has to be certified.

For instance: if you use a suction cup (like the RAM mounts) outside on the airplane, it is not inflight-removable, but leaves no traces when detached (on the ground). Does it need to be certified too? Or not, because it is non permanent?

In other words: What are the (EASA) rules on attaching non-permanent objects on your airplane when they have zero influence on the aircraft performance and the test data (by RAM Mount) is well above the aircraft performance?

EHLE (Lelystad - NL), Netherlands
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