Kramer 0 #1 August 23, 2004 I crossposted this in the Photography Forum...Giddyup!!! Anyone else's DZ have a camera mounted on the strut of their Cessna? We were tinkering around the other day...our kickass Cessna pilot Matt Cashore rigged up a way to put his camera all the way out on the strut. I'm not sure how he did it, but he has a little trigger on the steering wheel (sorry...I don't know plane terms) of the plane. All he does is hit the switch right as we exit, and we come away with some amazing shots. But don't get me wrong...I'd still rather jump a turbine. Check it out: The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vallerina 2 #2 August 23, 2004 Great pics! That Ward guy is still crazy! I hope all is well in Goshen! Thanks for sharing! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #3 August 23, 2004 Haven't seen one on a Cessna before but I have spotted them mounted in VARIOUS places on an Otter. One of the cooler locations was the drag hook. Made for some excellent exit footage. Of course.....you have to have some trust in the pilot before you go putting a camera back there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyIvan 0 #4 August 23, 2004 Nice shots!!!__________________________________________ Blue Skies and May the Force be with you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pajarito 0 #5 August 23, 2004 Those are very nice pics!!! I'd like to know how he mounted the camera gear. We jump 2 C-182's at Moton Field in Tuskegee, AL (Opelika Skydiving Association). The pic of the tandem, however, kind of looks scary. Makes me think that hitting the step with the tandem student's face might be a possibility. I always dive 45 degrees to the rear while the camera man exits hanging off the wing strut. We then turn to face each other. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indyz 1 #6 August 23, 2004 QuoteI'd like to know how he mounted the camera gear. The way I've seen it done is to use two contoured metal plates, one on each side of the strut, as sort of a clamp. Then the camera is attached to that and a wire for the shutter release is run into the cockpit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #7 August 23, 2004 So the pilot is hitting a button to fire off pics?--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kramer 0 #8 August 23, 2004 QuoteSo the pilot is hitting a button to fire off pics? Yeah. I'd imagine it's pretty tough shit too. The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #9 August 23, 2004 QuoteYeah. I'd imagine it's pretty tough shit too. Yup, he might hurt his thumb... I was just trying to figure out how it worked...thinking of my DZ's 182.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #10 August 23, 2004 he may also have an inra red remote BTW Nice exit pic of you KramerI still have no pics of me in the air I need to stop insulting the camera guysYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murrays 0 #11 August 23, 2004 I used to mount a camera on the strut of a 182 at Gananoque, ON in 1985-6 or so. I used a big clamp with a ball and socket head that I bought at a camera store in Toronto. (pics attached) I taped the camera shutter release wire to the strut and ran it back into the cabin and up to where the pilot could click off a few shots on exit. I applied lots of duct tape to the mount/strut and to the mount/camera so that it couldn't loosen up. I used a 16mm lens. I also attached a photo taken with the set-up....looks just like the ones attached to the top of this thread. (Pre-drogue tandem exit so this shot was taken in 1985) The camera takes a lot of abuse in a set-up like this. I left my Olympus OM-1 attached for a month once and the light meter never worked again but that was all...not bad considering it was just ssitting there unprotected. The OM-1 was a tough little camera. If you do this I would suggest using a box to keep your camera out of the wind-blast and protect it a bit from the heat-cold extremes it will endure.-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #12 August 23, 2004 Quote(Pre-drogue tandem exit) You know, I didn't see that in your post and was looking at that tandem rig going "something is different..." (besides the huge jumpsuit) and realized it had a PC and no visible drogue release and thought "huh, must be an older one with it on the left side only..." That's cool.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guru312 0 #14 August 23, 2004 QuoteI crossposted this in the Photography Forum...Giddyup!!! Anyone else's DZ have a camera mounted on the strut of their Cessna? I had a camera mount on my 182 for quite a few years. You can see a few of the shots on this web page of mine: http://www.aicommand.com/cam_sys.htm In the pic of me flying my ultralight you can see my left hand on the pneumatic release bulb. I had the same system on the 182. Pneumatic releases can be bought at most camera shops. Not expensive. I ran the rubber tubing from the control yolk, where I put the release bulb, and out the wing strut. Other things to consider: The camera needs a motorized advance and wide angle lens. The lens in pic of the original post is quite wide-angle which gets a good field of view but distorts...see the bent wing. If anyone wants to see my mounting system PM me and I'll take a pic of the assembly. I made it out of aluminum angle and pop rivets. Took about 5 hours. Cool idea. Students love to have their first pic with the plane visible. All the jumping we did was static line. And 30 years ago...Guru312 I am not DB Cooper Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crwmike 0 #15 August 23, 2004 QuoteI crossposted this in the Photography Forum...Giddyup!!! Anyone else's DZ have a camera mounted on the strut of their Cessna? We were tinkering around the other day...our kickass Cessna pilot Matt Cashore rigged up a way to put his camera all the way out on the strut. I'm not sure how he did it, but he has a little trigger on the steering wheel (sorry...I don't know plane terms) of the plane. All he does is hit the switch right as we exit, and we come away with some amazing shots. But don't get me wrong...I'd still rather jump a turbine. Check it out: Just goes to show you, wait long enough and everything old is new again. Nice pics! Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adamjenner 0 #16 August 23, 2004 really sweet shots! i think our DZO was thinking of mounting a camera to the strut of our C182 or somewhere in the plane to get some action shots! I think it's a grand idea Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murrays 0 #17 August 23, 2004 QuoteOther things to consider: The camera needs a motorized advance and wide angle lens. The lens in pic of the original post is quite wide-angle which gets a good field of view but distorts...see the bent wing. In today's digital world I could see this being a nice little revenue generator: 1 - Digital Rebel with a Sigma 15 or similar (or maybe the new Canon 10-22(?) zoom) 2 - The pilot squeezes off 2-3 shots of each student exit 3 - When the aircraft lands somebody walks out, pops the memory card out and pops in a clean one 4 - pop the card into a reader, make prints for students, collect money 5 - Go to bank A quick burst of 2-3 shots is about all that is worth taking and usually the first one is the best so the pilot's timing is important. Depending on the exit and where the camera is aimed the timing would vary.-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kramer 0 #18 August 23, 2004 Quotenice little revenue generator No kidding. We get static line students that'll give up a kidney for an 8x10 of their first jump to show all their friends! The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindsey 0 #19 August 23, 2004 GYAAAA!!! Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE a 182 more than any other plane. I do. the pics are great! linz-- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cloudynot 0 #20 August 23, 2004 I also like Cessna 182's they are fun....The pictures ROCK!!!! Clouds are cool to move through but not if they are NOT jumpable Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guru312 0 #21 August 23, 2004 QuoteQuotenice little revenue generator No kidding. We get static line students that'll give up a kidney for an 8x10 of their first jump to show all their friends! Yup. For sure. I can't remember the exact prices, way too long ago in the early '70s, but I had a Canon AE-1, motor drive, and lens for...maybe $600. But, damn, don't hold me to the price. It was a hassle, actually, keeping track of pics and students because I couldn't deliver the pics until the next weekend. Today, with digitial technology ...as described...a DZ could make some decent revenue. Having the plane and exit door in the picture makes for a more 'interesting' composition than a pic taken of the student in freefall by a camera flyer. IMHO.[email]Guru312 I am not DB Cooper Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indyz 1 #22 August 23, 2004 QuoteIn today's digital world I could see this being a nice little revenue generator Hinckley has (or maybe had) a digital camera mounted on the outside of their Twin Otter. If I recall correctly, the shutter was rigged to the green light, so the camera would fire continuously as long as the green was on. After each load somebody would swap memory cards and the new pictures were shown on a TV in the hangar. It was definitely hit-or-miss; our 4-way team did 6 jumps in a meet that day and we never got a good exit shot. But on every load where I watched the "take" there was usually one or two cool shots. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingnut 0 #23 August 23, 2004 QuoteNo kidding. We get static line students that'll give up a kidney for an 8x10 of their first jump to show all their friends wheni made my first static line at canton air sports they had that option but i couldn't justify the expense to myself.. finally got a video of one of my freefalss on jump 18........... ______________________________________ "i have no reader's digest version" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #24 August 23, 2004 our DZ has been talking about this for a while. i think its a great idea, and if you are tossing static line students, you could have the JM trigger the camera, so he gets the timing right. MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murrays 0 #25 August 23, 2004 Quoteour DZ has been talking about this for a while. i think its a great idea, and if you are tossing static line students, you could have the JM trigger the camera, so he gets the timing right. I would disagree with this...The JM's attention should be solely on his student and handling the SL, etc. I found that the pilot would get very good at timing the shot with a bit of practice.-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
