Filming from an Airplane for the first time

[Ryan Sheets]

Next week I have an opportunity to film from an airplane and need help knowing what to expect/what I might need.

Currently taking my DJI Ronin gimbal, Red Dragon and a few Mag's.

We have the opportunity to film out of an open window. My idea, is to have someone help hold the gimbal with me as I operate, etc. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know.

Any tips or things I need to consider?

Thanks!

Ryan

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

Just make sure you hit record if the plane starts to go down.



Seriously, I have no idea what's involved, but it sounds like fun.

Stephen

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Filming from a Plane is much easier then filming form an Helicopter... Unless you are on a Jet fighter pulling G's...

Make sure that you buy a really good Monkey Strap Suit, I usually ware two, and extra straps for the gear, again two on each gear, you don't want to fall off the plane and neither you want any of the gear to fall off the plane either.

Just make sure that Radio contact it is kept with the pilot at all times, and that He/She informs you prior any given sudden swings left or right, or you won't be able to counterbalance them.

Best of luck and be extra extra safe, but have lots of fun!!

 

[Chris McKechnie]

I've shot from many types of aircraft...if you're going to be rocking a Ronin setup, you're going to need some type of support - i.e. easy rig, exo, etc. You could even use rope or bungee chords too if it's tight quarters.

You're going to want deep focus and to over crank when possible. You're going to eat through media more quickly, but it will really stabilize things for you. Obviously, over cranking isn't mandatory, but depending on how much wind you have coming into the cabin, it's going to greatly help, plus, it just looks cooler and it gives you the flexibility of ramping in post. In addition, since you'd be shooting at a higher shutter, you could more easily pull stills from the video frames.

Tether yourself obviously is a given as well. Have fun and be safe.

 

[Ryan Sheets]

Thanks so much. I will buy some ropes/bungees as I don't have an easy rig and may not have the space. Appreciate the input!

 

[Ryan Sheets]

Thanks for the reply! Do you have a link to where I might be able to buy the straps you are referring to by chance? Thanks!

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Thanks for the reply! Do you have a link to where I might be able to buy the straps you are referring to by chance? Thanks!

They are many types of them, I have several ones that I use deepening if Flying on regular chopper or Jet powered Chopper... So you can search out which one might be best for you, prices also vary a lot.

But spend alit extra and be safe!!

This guys have some good stuff too: http://new.aerialmachineandtool.com/webshaper/store/viewProd.asp?pkProductItem=66

 

[Robert Hart]

Others more competent than I will chime in but here's something in the meantime.


What previous experience does your pilot have in air-to-ground or air-to-air camera work?

Is your pilot a weekend-flier friend doing you a favour or a commercial pilot earning a living?


Be aware that air-to-ground videography can involve an aircraft being operated very close to the margins of its safe and predictable performance envelope. The pilot should be experienced and intuitive in operating the particular aircraft type and preferably the individual aircraft to be used.

Work out your communications method well beforehand. Establish that if your pilot does not answer you in flight, it is not because you have not been heard but your pilot at that instant is busy.

An aircraft's performance is not a constant but varies with the environment it is flying through.

Be aware that your pilot's workload is high. Interjections by you may become an overwhelming distraction. If the person is dealing with a higher intensity moment but is also anxious to please you, this is a big trap for the less experienced operator.

A character of air-to-ground videography tends to be lower and slower flight in continuous turns centred on the subject on the ground. This behaviour plus concentration upon the target you are aiming for with your camera may cause added risk. The ragged bottom edge of your aircraft's available performance may sneak up on your pilot who should normally be well ahead of what mischief the aircraft is getting up to.

 

[Steve G]

Filming from a Plane is much easier then filming form an Helicopter...

Wrong. The original post said filming out of an opening window. It is much harder filming out of an aeroplane window than it is to film from a helicopter with the door off. The window is normally very small. and you can't pan or tilt. If you have the door off of a helicopter, you have much more area to shoot from.

 

[Demetri Zuev]

Is that the never released fixed Scarlet in your hands, Ketch?

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Is that the never released fixed Scarlet in your hands, Ketch?

She is her indeed Demetri.

 

[Ryan Sheets]

Hey Chris,

When you say higher frame rate...if I filmed at, say 48 fps, is that high enough in your mind?

Reason I ask is that 72fps really kills me on the compression end...

Thanks so much,

Ryan

 

[Lakis Amarantithis]

Wrong. The original post said filming out of an opening window. It is much harder filming out of an aeroplane window than it is to film from a helicopter with the door off. The window is normally very small. and you can't pan or tilt. If you have the door off of a helicopter, you have much more area to shoot from.

Have done both and the helicopter is much easier. But everything is relative to the shot of course. I flew in R44's and Cessna's 172's. In the Cessna's the space is extremely limited. I don't know if the Ronin will be operational in such a small plane with a small window.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Wrong. The original post said filming out of an opening window. It is much harder filming out of an aeroplane window than it is to film from a helicopter with the door off. The window is normally very small. and you can't pan or tilt. If you have the door off of a helicopter, you have much more area to shoot from.

I have done many flights Monkey strapped on the edge of an open door of either a plane or Helicopter, and at what speed, with severe degrees of turns while hunting out, or how many Jet powered Chopper Bat-Turns have you experienced or Bruner pushes did you deal with on planes while still hanging outdoors?

I have done plenty of all the done and more, on Civilian and Military Planes and Helicopters, at very low altitudes, flying in between Skyscrapers and or under Bridges.

Speed for speed it is way harder to cope with the down drifts and Swings of an Helicopter then it is with that of a plane, for more then obvious reasons, especially on Military ones, which they have far larger Helicoids and Trust.

Shooting outside of an open door or window still makes you deal with the centrifugal down forces of chopper, were you don't have them on a Plane, so either outside, or inside placing the camera off the window, it remains easier to do so on a Plane then on a chopper!!

Again, need to take in to account when you compare the two, that the Speed and weather conditions were the same on either flights, as well as the flying path pursued to do the shoot.

This shot does not justice to what I ma saying as I had just retracted the camera, but I know what I am talking about, as I have done it about 30 times!

Never mind dealing with the Vibration on Choppers vs Planes!!

 

[ericyoung]

Check out the actual plane you will be shooting from to check secure mounting for the camera rig as well as yourself if there is any danger of you or other objects falling out!

Robert's advice about the experience of the pilot is also very good - there is a huge difference between flying passengers or cargo from A to B compared to flying to frame something on the ground. Even a very experienced commercial pilot can get into trouble doing stuff he/she is not used to.

 

[Steve G]

I have done many flights Monkey strapped on the edge of an open door of either a plane or Helicopter, and at what speed, with severe degrees of turns while hunting out, or how many Jet powered Chopper Bat-Turns have you experienced or Bruner pushes did you deal with on planes while still hanging outdoors?

Actually a lot. No need to post pictures to prove that. If you want to start a ridiculous "i am more macho than you" contest, don't derail this thread, start another one or pm. Clearly, handheld filming from a helicopter with door off is easier and gets you better shots than trying to poke a camera through a small window of an aircraft.

 

[Mark Phelan]

This looks like a good time to tell the story of when we on a shoot over the shark infested waters of Puerto Rico. We were filming El Morro in Old San Juan and were in an old Bell 47G helicopter, the bubble kind you see in M*A*S*H. There were no monkey straps of any kind, just some old auto click seatbelts. No problem, that's what duct tape is for. Chuck placed some tape around the latch so it wouldn't come open and off we went. Pilot on the left, myself in the middle, Chuck on the right hanging out with his right foot on the skid. I'm holding a spare lens along with several rolls of film. As we pirouette through the sky I happened to look down and see the seatbelt has come undone and Chuck is only keeping himself in the aircraft by his foot on the skid, blissfully unaware of his precarious position. I calmly bring it to his attention so he doesn't jerk from surprise and he has one of the biggest O.S. moments I've ever seen.

It's all fun and games until someone becomes chum.

 

[Matt Uhry]

Being a pilot i'm going to put it out there that filming from small fixed wing airplanes is pretty difficult, theres not much space in the cabin and the open area of the window is small and extremely windy from the propwash. Depending on the plane The wing, struts and prop can be in the way too. Planes need forward motion to stay in the air so low and slow is inherently dangerous. Temper your expectations and look at it as a learning experience and you'll be fine.

Filming from helicopters varies a lot too with the skills of the pilot and the type of chopper you're in. Piston rotorcraft like a R22 with low time pilots is a potentially dangerous combination.

Matt Uhry
www.mattuhry.com

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Actually a lot. No need to post pictures to prove that. If you want to start a ridiculous "i am more macho than you" contest, don't derail this thread, start another one or pm. Clearly, handheld filming from a helicopter with door off is easier and gets you better shots than trying to poke a camera through a small window of an aircraft.

Ha ha, sure, so you say...

What ever... I don't even know why I bother answering any of your replies to any of my posts...

Either way,

What I posted is based on my multitude of flying experiences with both, and the reflection of those experiences have been put in to words advising the original poster of this thread about it, if yours differ then instead of attacking my honest shared opinion like a TROLL just share yours... And why not, do post some pictures... I alway love seen pictures...

This looks like a good time to tell the story of when we on a shoot over the shark infested waters of Puerto Rico. We were filming El Morro in Old San Juan and were in an old Bell 47G helicopter, the bubble kind you see in M*A*S*H. There were no monkey straps of any kind, just some old auto click seatbelts. No problem, that's what duct tape is for. Chuck placed some tape around the latch so it wouldn't come open and off we went. Pilot on the left, myself in the middle, Chuck on the right hanging out with his right foot on the skid. I'm holding a spare lens along with several rolls of film. As we pirouette through the sky I happened to look down and see the seatbelt has come undone and Chuck is only keeping himself in the aircraft by his foot on the skid, blissfully unaware of his precarious position. I calmly bring it to his attention so he doesn't jerk from surprise and he has one of the biggest O.S. moments I've ever seen.

It's all fun and games until someone becomes chum.

Nice story Mark!

Being a pilot i'm going to put it out there that filming from small fixed wing airplanes is pretty difficult, theres not much space in the cabin and the open area of the window is small and extremely windy from the propwash. Depending on the plane The wing, struts and prop can be in the way too. Planes need forward motion to stay in the air so low and slow is inherently dangerous. Temper your expectations and look at it as a learning experience and you'll be fine.

Filming from helicopters varies a lot too with the skills of the pilot and the type of chopper you're in. Piston rotorcraft like a R22 with low time pilots is a potentially dangerous combination.

Matt Uhry
www.mattuhry.com

You are right Matt,

However, as I aid, speed for speed, with same need of angles and turns the Chopper remains more difficult to shoot in then in a Plane, I have done enough of this, at various altitude, and Geographic settings, Mountain ranges, sea level flying, amongst Skyscrapers, Desert and so on, that when a similar sized Plane is matched with a similar size Chopper, the plane is almost always easier to predict and control while filming making the chopper more difficult and dangerous.

 

[Michael J Brennan]

Why are you using a fixed wing?

An issue with shooting from a fixed wing is the wing getting between the camera and the subject!
Depending on the aircraft, fixed wing craft need to travel faster than helicopters when orbiting a subject.
So the orbits are usually wider.
The trap is for cameraman to ask pilots to fly tigher orbits, the willing pilot may fly too tight and too slow and stall.


I'd suggest you get access to the plane well before the shoot so you can create a realistic plan of what angles and shots are feasible as well as give you time to better prepare your kit.

Using non approved harnessmes and bungies has been duscussed before on this list.
In many cases their use is illegal, yet this point is not mentioned when giving advice to newcomers.
It is worth finding these threads.

Advice about aerial filming is frequently given without due regard to mitigating risk.
Using the number of accidents as a metric, aerial work has the highest risk to cameramen, outside of shooting in war zones.

Key points to mitigate risk are using a commercially rated pilot with recent and significant hours on the aircraft type, a flexible schedule so the job can be resceduled if weather could compromise the shot.
An aircaft maintained to public transport categoery or utility is more highly scrutinised.

Jumping in an ultralight with a friendly local pilot is a no no. A director cameraman was killed under such circumstances, a few years ago, they flew into crap weather visible from the field at time of departure.

We also lost an experienced pilot and photographer/cameraman in Australia early this year, photograhing/filming a major yatch race, witnesses report it flying at mast height and then crashing during a tight turn.

They were specialists in yatch photography.

The majority of crews and production staff who engage aerial resources defer to pilots and charter companies regarding advice on choice of aircraft and pilot.
So in general, it is better to employ a charter company where your flight will be overseen by someone other than your pilot. A owner-operator type of operation lacks this oversight. A level of middle management is a good buffer between the unique demands of aerial filming made by production toward the pilot.

The weakest link in aerial filming is the production team, director and cameraman.

mike brennan