When I was at the Pipistrel factory in Slovenia last April, the techs were patiently amused while I wrapped a wing-mounted GoPro camera with a safety layer of duct tape. I’d stuck the thing under the wing with the standard GoPro 3M pressure sensitive base. “You know,” one of them said, “we never do that. The adhesive holds them fine. They never come off.” They were right, but when it comes to crap falling off airplanes, I go the belt-and-suspenders route.
This came to mind recently when we published an action cam review in Aviation Consumer and a couple of readers asked about the legalities of externally mounted cameras. It surfaced again this week when our video comparing cameras appeared. I figured that when I revealed how I mount these cameras, it would stir up some trouble. I was right.
I’ll get to the legalities in a moment; first the mechanics. Action cams like the GoPro and Garmin’s VIRB are usually equipped with footpads that will attach in various ways, including 3M pressure adhesive, suction cups and clamps. If you want it attached to the outside of the airplane, there’s always a way. My way, as shown in the video, is to use the pressure-sensitive adhesive. When possible, clean the area first with alcohol, set the pad, and let it cure overnight. Then it’s ready for the camera.
To the amusement of my Solvenian friends, I backstop the pad with tape. First, I lay down a layer of painter’s tape to protect the paint. Then I wrap the duct tape entirely around the surface and join it to itself, top end facing downstream. I fashion a small tether out of tape and wrap it around the base of the camera mount. The end of the tether’s flat section of tape goes under the wrapped layer. This lash-up is hell for strong. It’s simply not going to break under the normal loads conceivably imposed on the camera. It’s also overkill. But I don’t want to lose a $300 camera or dent someone’s noggin or windshield.
There are all kinds of commercial mounts for GoPros. Sporty’s has one that attaches anywhere there’s a number 6, 8 or 10 screw on the airframe. They say it’s for experimental aircraft only signaling, at least for public consumption, that they believe such mounts are of questionable legality on certified aircraft. Here’s another mount for a strutted aircraft. I haven’t tried it, but it looks well designed for a reasonable price.
Among the many mounts used for action cams are suction cups. Lots of people use these on the outside of the airplane, but I wouldn’t consider it. A slight leak in the seal or a good shake or oil-caning and the cup can part company with the surface. In that case, a strong, but short tether of some kind is a must. The tether shouldn’t allow the camera to flop around, but merely to tip over.
When I use a suction cup inside the airplane, usually stuck to the glass, I try to tether it even then. I’ve had them pop loose more than once. I made myself a selection of bungee tethers with snaps on both ends, so I can wrap them around available attachment points. GoPro sells its own small adhesive tethers, but I haven’t found a use for them yet. I also tether the cameras when I use them on motorcycles.
Now the legalities. My general response to this has been don’t ask, don’t tell. But our hand got forced when a couple of readers asked about the legalities. The operator of a skydiving aircraft was about to be violated for some claimed infraction related to an external camera mount. So we asked the FAA at the local and national level. My colleague Larry Anglisano, editor of Aviation Consumer, got this internal guidance memo from the FAA: Here’s the PDF. It’s short and to the point, so I suggest reading it.
Basically, the memo says camera mounts aren’t major alterations since they don’t appreciably change flight characteristics, performance, weight and balance or basic airworthiness. They also don’t represent changes to the aircraft’s basic type certification, so no STC is necessary. The memo suggests reviewing them on a “case-by-case” basis. In the reality of the modern regulatory world, that means one FSDO inspector might have no problem with a temporary camera mount installed using no tools, while another may clearly see a violation of some FAR he would have to cite. Which inspector you get is the luck of the draw, but I think the FAA’s memo gets it right: case by case and use common sense.
The memo further says the FAA doesn’t support such attachments and should one come loose, the ever-present FAR 91.13 cudgel-careless or reckless operation-is available for use. And that’s as it should be. The act of mounting the camera is not, of itself, careless or reckless; losing it because you didn’t do it right might be. Again, case by case.
Without looking too hard, you can find language in the regulations that might define one of these mounts as illegal on a certified airplane. If that’s your wont, have at it. But my view is just the reverse; I’m looking for a way to get it done with reasonable safety and practicality without spending a fortune to film a lousy three-minute video. I think it’s a paranoid absurdity to argue that a GoPro taped to a strut will alter the flight characteristics of an airplane in any way, much less meaningfully. (Then again, that’s not true of everywhere you could put a camera. See this discussion.)
On the other hand, if you mount the camera to a control surface or where a detachment could jam a control or damage the aircraft, you’re not using good judgment. Anyone who’s really nervous about this either shouldn’t do it or should take the trouble to have an A&P do an inspection and a logbook entry. Otherwise, just mount the camera, do your flight, and remove it when you land. Keep it simple. This is supposed to be fun and recreational, remember? And be mindful of speed. Strut mounts on a 172 are one thing, the top of a turboprop wing something else. (Pipistrel had cameras all over the Panthera, which cruises at 180 knots.)
If you’re anticipating doing a lot of video work or doing it professionally, check out this product, the Eagle 360. It’s a nicely made camera belly pod and is fully STCd and approved for at least 50 airplanes and will accommodate up to five cameras. If you want to do serious aerial video right, that’s how.
Wednesday P.M. update: I’ve been getting calls and emails on this subject in the background. One reader, with extensive experience in mounting GoPros on wings and other structures, had two suggestions I hadn’t considered. One, the 3M patch will degrade with time. So it shouldn’t be left to weather on the wing for more than a few days. Just use a fresh one. They’re cheap. But do let it cure overnight.
Second, use so-called high speed tape–this stuff–to protect the paint under the 3M pad. You can use another wrap across the top of the camera for extra security. Polyken tape is actually intended as an aviation product, albeit no specifically for this purpose.
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