Bird's-Eye Video

Even though I have a background in aerial still photography and had a high-wing Cessna 172 at my disposal, shooting videos from the sky proved to be more difficult than I anticipated.

With the advent of small, high-quality equipment, moving to video was a natural progression. I decided to use two cameras: one inside the cabins for side and rear views, the other mounted on the wing strut, facing forward.

Ready for Takeoff

I got a local videomaker interested in the project, and we started experimenting with a Panasonic PV-320 from the cabin. Fortunately, my plane was specially equipped with a window that locked up against the wing, eliminating reflections and other problems associated with shooting through plexiglass.

Our initial experiments with the handheld taping proved the worthlessness of that idea, no matter now smooth the air, and it quickly became obvious that we'd have to mount the camera securely.

The solution was simple: We removed one of the front seats and fastened a heavy-duty tripod to the floor, using the seat belt to hold it. Small rubber pads under each leg eliminated vibrations. My cameraman sat in the back seat for the takeoff and landing, then knelt on the floor to operate the camera.

Frequently using the plane itself as a tilt/pan head (bringing the nose or wing up or down, or using a "flat turn" technique for panning) produced better results than manual manipulation of the cabin camera on its t…