Wing mounted GoPro

[skydived19006 4]

What a cool option for a wing mounted camera. I primairly did this so I could offer stills to our IAD students. It's been fun for the fun jumpers as well.

I loaded a series of pictures of an IAD student doing his first IAD (old army paratrooper) on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150296811934852.412674.269793879851

And a few on the DZ web site.
http://www.aircapitaldropzone.com/tandemvideo.htm

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[JerryBaumchen 1,050]

Hi Martin,

Back in the 70's Jamie Woodward, the DZO of Issaquah, did this for his 1st-jump students ( all S/L back then ); before tandem days.

He made a bunch of money selling those photos.

JerryBaumchen

[davelepka 4]

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I primairly did this so I could offer stills to our IAD students.

I worked at a DZ that did a big static line business back in the day, and the DZO had a video system rigged up for filming SL exits. He sold a TON of them because he could offer them cheap, something like $15 or $20 a tape (back in the VHS days). There was no video guy to pay, no video slot to cover, just the cost of the tape for making a dub.

A jumpers wife took over the operation, and she started filming landings as well, and would dub the exit and landing onto a tape so the jumper had a record of the whole jump. Again, it was very inexspensive, and most people ended up buying a tape.

If anything, it was good fun to watch the videos after the load. Every other load they would switch tapes in the camera, and everyone from the two previous loads would gather around the TV and watch everyones exit. It really was a great way to wrap up a day of training, even if they didn't buy anything (but they always did).

That GoPro should pay for itself ten times over, no problem.

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

skyed,

Cool application of an old idea using the latest technology... as I'm sure you know.

Over the years, many of us have seen lots of types of cameras mounted to the struts of Cessnas to capture photos of student exits. I might have a few showing the set-ups used at Cal City back in the day, but I'd have to hunt for them. We even messed with mounting one of Keith's PC-? cameras under the wing of the Otter to capture exit shots; that worked marginally better then shoving Keith out onto the Otter's left strut / main mount a couple of miles before the spot.

In the ol' Apple Valley days, Sparky experimented with a VHS cam-corder mounted under the step / under the door of the King Air, facing down and aft, of course, trying to capture exit video of test drops they used to do. Not sure if he ever got that working well or not. Getting the mounting angle and picking the correct lens was an exercise in trial-and-error as I recall, but it was great fun trying!
Of course everything we ever did was in accordance with the regs.

[Hellis 0]

I think you would get better pictures if you mount it on the cowling instead.
But that means either a diffternt mount that can swiwel or rotating the images 90 degrees.

[vpjr 1]

Does anyone have a hack to remote switch the GoPro?

[skydived19006 4]

Sure, I know that it's been done with mostly 35mm SLRs in the past, the GoPro really does make it a simple task.

I didn't mount the camera to the strut, but drilled a 1/4" hole in the inspection plate just aft of the top strut attachment point, and used a tripod adapter.

Mounting on the cowl would be a cool angle, but I'm not sure that I want to start drilling holes in the cowl, and I'd be more conficant that the sheet metal wouldn't crack out around the mount if it were doubled. There went the simplicity. I know that there are suction cup, and stick on mounts, but I'm also not totally comfortable with sticking my $300 camera onto the cowl with a suction cup or tape. Maybe someone else can do it and I'll reavulate based on their experience.

Van,
I asked a tech support guy on the phone if they had any intention of developing a remote shutter switch. Seems to me like it would/could be a software/simple hardware thing with the linking port on the back of the HD camera. It didn't sound like they had any plans to develop this option.

With my IAD students, I'll simply turn the thing on before take off and let it run a picture every two seconds. Then you have to drill through the 1000 or so pictures to find the "gold." My plan is to push the responsibility off to the Instructors to deal with the camera, and burn the CDs. I'll throw them an additional $5 (of the $25) per sale for their effort.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[piisfish 135]

I know some french guys are doing a kind of controller "à la Hypeye" for the GoPro. Will try to get them to post here

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[skydived19006 4]

Quote

I know some french guys are doing a kind of controller "à la Hypeye" for the GoPro. Will try to get them to post here

Well, if "some french guys" can figure it out, surely GoPro could make and sell something. I'll pester them again and see what happens.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[Hellis 0]

I belive thousands of people have mounted a GoPro with the stickymount to their helmets with sucess, and the airspeed is not much different.

I mounted my Contour with 3M velcro to the cowling and it works good, the only problem is the vibrations from the engine sometimes mess up the video.
On most rpms the vibrations even out and the image is stable (video) but if the pilot finds the correct rpm it gets very shaky.

You could drill holes around the cameramount and use cable ties for extra saftey.
If the cowling starts to crack you would probably notice before it becomes a problem

[skydived19006 4]

Quote

I believe thousands of people have mounted a GoPro with the stickymount to their helmets with success, and the airspeed is not much different.

I mounted my Contour with 3M Velcro to the cowling and it works good, the only problem is the vibrations from the engine sometimes mess up the video.
On most rpms the vibrations even out and the image is stable (video) but if the pilot finds the correct rpm it gets very shaky.

You could drill holes around the camera mount and use cable ties for extra safety.
If the cowling starts to crack you would probably notice before it becomes a problem

I know that they work well stuck on helmets, it's the vibration that worries me. That said, my guess is that it would stick fine.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[david3 0]

This is another angle to consider that DBCOOPER has on his 182. Between the wing mount and this inside shot you could cut together a fairly complete exit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI1QDYszwIc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[davelepka 4]

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I'll simply turn the thing on before take off and let it run a picture every two seconds. Then you have to drill through the 1000 or so pictures to find the "gold."

Crazy idea, how about the JM leans out and turns it on before the student climbs out?

Pop the door 5 seconds early to account for this, and you're all set. If it's one jumper per pass, they could shut it off during the go-around. Even if you left it run from the first door opening through to the last exit, it would still save all the pics that would be shot during the climb and descent.

[dreaming13000 1]

Very cool Martin!! how much for the fun jumpers!?

"A man only gets in life what he is believing for, nothing more and nothing less" Kenneth Hagen

[skydived19006 4]

Quote

Quote

I'll simply turn the thing on before take off and let it run a picture every two seconds. Then you have to drill through the 1000 or so pictures to find the "gold."

Crazy idea, how about the JM leans out and turns it on before the student climbs out?

Pop the door 5 seconds early to account for this, and you're all set. If it's one jumper per pass, they could shut it off during the go-around. Even if you left it run from the first door opening through to the last exit, it would still save all the pics that would be shot during the climb and descent.

With IAD that's climbing out to turn on the camera isn't really a good option. We take out the student's PC, check the bridle routing, give one last gear check front and back, then open the door. I really wouldn't want to be doing all of that with the door open.

I put a 16 gig card in that camera, it should run in the neighborhood of 15,000 pictures so capacity is a non issue it's just a little more work on the ground. We'll just copy/paste the dozen or so exit pictures to a CD for each student.

A remote shutter switch would be really cool for video! Though it would also make life easier with the stills.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[skydived19006 4]

Jessica,
We've just been playing around with it with fun jump loads. Considering that I already make so much money from fun jump loads, I'll just comp it to them when they want to screw with it.

Tandems: I'm making money.
FJC Students: I'm making money.
Continuing Students: I'm making skydivers.
Fun Jumpers: I'm making friends, well sometimes anyway.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[JackC1 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPmKpCbX7g0

[skydived19006 4]

Quote

I know some french guys are doing a kind of controller "à la Hypeye" for the GoPro. Will try to get them to post here

Here's the GoPro response to my suggestion/question regarding an external shutter switch option.

Update for Case #125940 - "Firmware/Hardware Suggestion"

"Hello,

Not at this time.

To be kept up to date on any new product releases, please be sure to sign up for our online newsletter:

http://gopro.com/newsletter/

Please let us know if you have any further questions

Many Thanks,

GoPro Support
www.gopro.com/support"

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

[LongWayToFall 0]

What about cutting it open and doing it yourself? The button you press either makes a connection, or breaks one. Some wires, a switch, and a bit of solder later you should be good to go.

[skydived19006 4]

Quote

What about cutting it open and doing it yourself? The button you press either makes a connection, or breaks one. Some wires, a switch, and a bit of solder later you should be good to go.

I'll think about it.

Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ