Filming My Flying

When I was spending a bunch of time learning how to be a better driver, I spent some time videotaping events. It was kind of useful to be able to look back over a run, and see where I did well and where I could do better. I've been surprised that more pilots didn't film their flights for later review.

I met someone a few months ago who was filming their flights, so I decided to give it a try. I had to get a tripod, bungie it down to the back seat, and get a special cable to connect the microphone port on the camcorder to the intercom on the plane.

My first try was a bit weak -- I somehow managed to set up the camera so that it caught a bit of the back of my head, a bit of the instrument panel, and a bit of the outside. And the audio was totally overdriven, so I didn't get much of anything intelligible recorded. Still, I was happy with the attempt.

Next time, I'll mount the camera higher, I'll use an attenuating audio cable, and hopefully I'll get some more useful results. As it was, I was just happy to be up after a nearly four-week break. Hopefully, next month there won't be giant fires closing the airspace or sleepless nights that keep me from feeling tip-top to fly. Eh, we'll see.