Filiming training flights in cockpit

It's a thing. I've got millennial friends and they're photographing and videoing everything all the time. I think it would actually be a shock to some of them if someone suggested they just put down the camera and enjoy anything.
Their fit bit bracelet will keep track and let them know if they enjoyed anything later. Between selfie sticks and tracking all manner of useless information, technology has made it a lot easier to be antisocial and egocentric while pretending to be social.
 
If a student wants to video a flight, I have no problem with that. It can be a valuable training aid.

However, I wouldn't be quite so hard as some of you on those CFIs who don't want the video running, at least at first. Sure there are probably CFIs who don't want to be video'd because they're awful, or they don't want documentation of them breaking the rules, or something like that. But there are probably an equal if not greater number of those who just aren't familiar with the technology and are concerned about it being distracting.

And reducing distractions is a valid concern of CFIs everywhere. Learning to fly is hard enough! Every CFI has seen it many times - the student is coming in for landing and their phone, which is mounted on the window, starts ringing or a text comes in and the student immediately looks over to see if it's important. Or their iPad on the yoke beeps or alerts about something and they immediately check it (oh, just a Facebook notification). Or it shuts down and they ignore the plane to fix the device. Lots and lots of examples of what we used to call "dropping the plane to fly the radio".

So we as CFIs see that kind of thing over and over again, and increasing in recent years. Now someone wants to bring a camera in the plane too - the first time a CFI gets that request, I think they'd be remiss if they DIDN'T step back and think about it a bit first. Sure, they've seen those youtube videos with cameras all over the place, but that sure looks distracting!

What they probably don't realize is that (at least with the GoPro I've used, and I assume others), is that it's a one-touch on and off operation and therefore CAN BE about as minimum of a distraction as it's possible to be.

So it's an education thing. Tell him you want to show him what it's like - use it on one flight. If it's too distracting, you'll stop using it, no problems.

Because they CAN be distracting! It depends on your personality. If the thing falls off the mount, are you going to try to put it back up? Maybe you won't, but some will. If you happen to notice the record light isn't on any more, are you going to try to figure out why? Again, some will, even in the middle of a critical phase of flight.

Once the CFI sees that it's a valuable training aid and you are not going to be the type to try to troubleshoot in the middle of a steep turn, I bet they will come around and embrace the idea.
 
I use one GoPro, set it up as I'm pre-flighting the plane. Then turn it on and hit record as I'm getting settled in the left seat. Then I don't touch it until we shut down at the end of the flight. Same with my audio recorder to pull headset sound. It's attached inline with my headset cords, I turn it on when I plug in my headset, hit record, and stow it away. There's plenty of memory for it to record 10 minutes of silence while I pre-flight.

It's in a spot where I COULD look back and check it, but I don't. I'm busy enough with learning to fly! Mine did fall off the mount once. Fell behind my seat. I tried to reach back with one arm while still looking ahead and flying (we were straight and level). Couldn't feel it anywhere within reach so it stayed there and recorded the carpet for about 40 more minutes :D
 
I haven't brought it back up with him. I'm not that concerned one way or the other, just thought it might be useful to hear other opinions.
 
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