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HS-14 2012 "Last Ride" Cruise Video
- Thread starter webmaster
- Start date
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Is anyone here that can talk about the externally mounted shots? I have a gopro with the standard mounts, plus the uuber-strong suction cup mount. I'm recording EVERYTHING, because the Phrog's days are numbered... Does the suction cup work for that, or did you do something else to get those shots?
phrogpilot..Scott here...I did a bit of research when trying to do this the right way mitigating FOD hazards/TFOA. GoPro makes very strong rollbar and handlebar mounts that work perfect on the two handles to the entrance to the cabin of the aircraft(in the SAR jumps/terf/HVBSS fastrope and rappel sections @ 5:15,10:10). All the external shots were done with the camera attached to a monopole via the handlebar mount. Here is a very common pole used in action cam footage: http://www.gopole.com/catalog/products. I used the GoPro safety tethers as a secondary hold on the pole and used a combination of zipties and ducktape for the third level of security. My pole handle has a built in safety lanyard that went around my hand, so it physically couldn't fall out of my hand(You can sort of see the pole @ 11:54 in the video for a few seconds). Some of the shots in Guam were shot with a Custom NVG mount that I made from a old set of NVGs that were NRFI that my PRs were going to get rid of. GoPro does not make a compatible HGU-84 helmet nvg mount so we had to improvise. When you remove the portion of the NVG mount that moves your NVGs up and down it reveals a very flat plate that work perfect for the 3M mount for your Gopro. You can see the mount in the video being used by one of the crewman as we are terfing in Guam(@6:27 mark in the video), and also was used for all the crewman point of view shots during vertrep. I added a GoPro Safety tether so if the mount came undone from the 3M mount the tether would keep it from becoming a FOD hazard. I have used the mount for almost 6 months in just about every weather condition and it is literally like someone welded the camera to the mount it is that strong of a bond. It's a great mount and also very easy to put on and take off since it is the that simple NVG release button. My rule of thumb with any external shots being filmed was that it was only shot in an official range and never over populated areas(all the Fastrope approaches to the buildings were in the range). Being based in Japan, it is literally a TFOA worst nightmare if something falls from the aircraft, so thats why we decided to play it way safe. Hope that helps. It was very fun shooting the video and literally used about almost every accessory Gopro makes coming up with new angles that people have never seen before.
As for the suction cup...I only used in the cockpit. It is very strong and never had any issue with the suction losing it's holding power and I've been using it for almost a year now. You should never use that for external shots. It is rated to over 200mph but there are plenty of car videos out there where people have done just that and then it decided to just fall off. Not worth it IMO. One thing I did notice is that depending on which aircraft I was flying, some would produce worse video vibrations than others. One way to reduce vibrations it to make your suction cup as short as you can and it reduces the moment arm that induces vibrations. Hope that helps!
As for the suction cup...I only used in the cockpit. It is very strong and never had any issue with the suction losing it's holding power and I've been using it for almost a year now. You should never use that for external shots. It is rated to over 200mph but there are plenty of car videos out there where people have done just that and then it decided to just fall off. Not worth it IMO. One thing I did notice is that depending on which aircraft I was flying, some would produce worse video vibrations than others. One way to reduce vibrations it to make your suction cup as short as you can and it reduces the moment arm that induces vibrations. Hope that helps!
That was some glorious looking ECS.
Fantastic. Thanks.
About half of our aircraft have ECS like a fog machine. Not bad for aircraft that are headed to the boneyard in 6 months.
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
You mean a VFA guy doesn't have to know every difference and every radio/radar carried by every other aircraft in the wing to make LEVEL 2?
For shame!
/Jealous E2 Pilot Rant
For shame!
/Jealous E2 Pilot Rant
Lol, pretty sure you can be an SFTI and not know that schtuff. I will ask my Training O though.....I'm willing to put $100 on him saying "well those helos look exactly the same, and I think they might be American made too (but maybe Japanese)". I would say that, as a community, we can basically recce a MIG-29, Su-27 and maybe a Super Hornet. Was that a Hawkeye or Seahawk requirement?
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
Hawkeye.
You had look up, and copy into the CBATS (PQS) every radio and emitter and ASE gear on every US, Chinese, FSU and NATO Jet and Helo and Ship. And they were all fair game on your 2p/ACO or CAPC/CICO board.
And don't tell them their info on the SH-60B is wrong. I should KNOW that it has an APS-412 radar and ARC-223 radios. Since I flew it. (it doesn't)
I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. On my 2P board (Level 2) they showed a less than 3 second flash of an airframe, and I had to spit out what it was, who flys it, what it can carry, what it's emitters are, etc..
Nevermind if I get that close, I'm already dead if they want to kill the Hummer. And I can't see any of the other shit (all on NFO scopes, pilots don't have any tactical info)
You had look up, and copy into the CBATS (PQS) every radio and emitter and ASE gear on every US, Chinese, FSU and NATO Jet and Helo and Ship. And they were all fair game on your 2p/ACO or CAPC/CICO board.
And don't tell them their info on the SH-60B is wrong. I should KNOW that it has an APS-412 radar and ARC-223 radios. Since I flew it. (it doesn't)
I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. On my 2P board (Level 2) they showed a less than 3 second flash of an airframe, and I had to spit out what it was, who flys it, what it can carry, what it's emitters are, etc..
Nevermind if I get that close, I'm already dead if they want to kill the Hummer. And I can't see any of the other shit (all on NFO scopes, pilots don't have any tactical info)
The "Chargers" of HS-14 were "berry berry good to me" during my time in Japan. Enjoyed seeing this.