Two is better, but not good enough. Three is best. It's the "trifecta" if you will. What I am referring to here are cameras in the cockpit. The explosion of small HD cameras such as GoPro and Contour's NFlightCam continues to seep its way into the General Aviation sector as they become smaller, more advanced, and affordable. This trend creates new potential for General Aviation by opening a new venue of accessibility to a world-wide audience using online venues such as YouTube and Vimeo, reaching out to an audience not exposed to aviation, including the up-and-coming tech savvy younger generation.
Nowhere else can one find such a diversified variety of videos that cover a wide variety of aircraft, all out of the desire to show off the flight experiences in the cockpit. However, a quick search of YouTube and one will find that while there are a lot of videos of flying on the web, there are very few that have the ability to retain your attention.
This is a direct result of a lack of camera angles used in the video. A single six minute video that uses one camera angle may seem appealing at first, but after about 15 seconds into the video, the viewer becomes disinterested and will either skip forward in the video or find another video to watch. The solution to this is easy- add more cameras, and while it is an easy solution, it creates additional obstacles when the editing begins for pilots new to adding video to the cockpit.
My experiences with video in the cockpit are relatively new as well, but I think I've found an approach that works well for me. To start, I've began to use three different cameras when flying after finding that two cameras just aren't enough to maintain even my own attention. Usually, one camera is shooting out of the front of the airplane, another is facing me and my passengers, and the third will vary. Sometimes it will focus on the instrument panel and other times I will point it out the window, using the wing as a reference point. I will say that I have seen some other more exciting angles on YouTube where other users have mounted them externally. While I must admit that it is an awesome angle, I've not summoned the bravery to mount one of my cameras externally since I don't want to potentially lose my mount or camera while in flight.
Next comes audio. Two of my cameras have audio inputs, and with the right audio cords, I can split the audio off my headset and run it into the camera. I always use my cockpit audio in any video I make. One of the biggest challenges to new video users in aviation is the inability to record cockpit audio. As a result, the camera will record the ambient noise inside the cockpit which is usually a rumbling engine and the slipstream of air over the airplane. Anything said, unless is is screamed, will be missed by the camera.
Finally, and what is as equally important as the views each camera has is the editing of the final video. Since I shoot from three angles, I have plenty of material to choose from, but will usually approach my editing using one camera as a foundation, the second as an alternate view, and the third for supplemental shots. Meaning, each of the three shots has the ability to build off of one another. Next, I alternate each angle for a short period of time. Each shot will last no more than 10 to 15 seconds. This keeps the video "fresh" and the viewer interested. Throw in the cockpit audio, and viewers are able to see and hear the experiences of what is occurring in the cockpit. For me, this systematic approach is easy to follow, concise, and creates a genuinely interesting and engaging video for internet users, while promoting the world of General Aviation.
