In-Flight Video

[Ron Wanttaja]

Bought a digital video camera a week ago; fabricated a mount and installed
it on the Fly Baby's axle tube this weekend. Here's a quick snippet from a
30-minute flight I took yesterday.

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/slip.mpg

Unfortunately, the video compression loses a lot of data to get the file
down to a size that I could upload to my web page, so it's a bit blurry and
unfortunately short.

The camera is the Aiptek DV3100...it's about three inches square and an
inch wide, and stores ~35 minutes of 320x240 video on a 256 MB compact
flash card. I cut away the pin that automatically turns it off when the
LCD display is closed, and just start the camera before climbing into the
aircraft.

My intent is to build mounts for other parts of the plane, and
eventually edit clips together for a CD-movie.

Ron Wanttaja

[[email protected]]

On Tue, 11 May 2004 02:00:30 GMT, Ron Wanttaja >
wrote:

>Bought a digital video camera a week ago; fabricated a mount and installed
>it on the Fly Baby's axle tube this weekend. Here's a quick snippet from a
>30-minute flight I took yesterday.

Where were you Ron? Couldn't have been in the pacific northwest, I
see blue sky. <BIG GRIN>

Corky Scott

[[email protected]]

On Tue, 11 May 2004 02:00:30 GMT, Ron Wanttaja >
wrote:

>Unfortunately, the video compression loses a lot of data to get the file
>down to a size that I could upload to my web page, so it's a bit blurry and
>unfortunately short.

At first I thought you managed to somehow scan the camera to the
right. I also thought that you were impressively high on final. But
I finally realised that you went into a slip to loose altitude. I can
see that you really lose a LOT of altitude in a hurry when you slip
the Flybaby.

Corky Scott

[nafod40]

Ron Wanttaja wrote:
> Bought a digital video camera a week ago; fabricated a mount and installed
> it on the Fly Baby's axle tube this weekend. Here's a quick snippet from a
> 30-minute flight I took yesterday.
>
> http://www.bowersflybaby.com/slip.mpg

Excellent. I've had amazing success taking short videos with my Canon
A70, which supposedly just a digital still camera. Similar quality to
your shots. It's amazing what technology has given us.

[Ron Wanttaja]

On Tue, 11 May 2004 12:35:39 -0400, wrote:

>>Bought a digital video camera a week ago; fabricated a mount and installed
>>it on the Fly Baby's axle tube this weekend. Here's a quick snippet from a
>>30-minute flight I took yesterday.
>
>Where were you Ron? Couldn't have been in the pacific northwest, I
>see blue sky. <BIG GRIN>

Hey, now, waiddaminute.... :-)

I admit, it's probably going to be tough to get matching footage when I get
the mounts in place for the other locations on the airplane. At $100 a
camera, I should just install three on the plane at once....

>>Unfortunately, the video compression loses a lot of data to get the file
>>down to a size that I could upload to my web page, so it's a bit blurry and
>>unfortunately short.
>
>At first I thought you managed to somehow scan the camera to the
>right. I also thought that you were impressively high on final. But
>I finally realised that you went into a slip to loose altitude. I can
>see that you really lose a LOT of altitude in a hurry when you slip
>the Flybaby.

Yup, you just throw a brick out of the cockpit and fly formation with it.

My original cut at the video started with the turn from base to final, and
ran until I turned off the runway. That way, it was VERY obvious a slip
was involved, and you could see the tail drop when the plane slowed down on
rollout.

But of course, that cut turned out to be about 25 MB in size....tough to
load on the 'ol web page, when all you've got is a 56K dial-up.

Ron Wanttaja

[Ed Wischmeyer]

> Bought a digital video camera a week ago; fabricated a mount and
installed
> it on the Fly Baby's axle tube this weekend. Here's a quick snippet from
a
> 30-minute flight I took yesterday.
> http://www.bowersflybaby.com/slip.mpg

Cool video, but the soundtrack could stand to be squelched, like,
completely! high dB wind noise ain't where it's at.

But this raises some opportunities for appropriate Fly Baby background
music. Near Seattle, the obvious choice is "Raindrops keep fallin' on my
head." There's gotta be others...

Ed Wischmeyer

[frank connaly]

yep that`s him alright just alittle bit younger
"John Ousterhout" >
wrote in message ...
> On Tue, 11 May 2004 02:00:30 GMT, Ron Wanttaja >
> wrote:
>
> >Bought a digital video camera a week ago; fabricated a mount and
installed
> >it on the Fly Baby's axle tube this weekend. Here's a quick snippet from
a
> >30-minute flight I took yesterday.
>
> That's cool.
>
> Cockpit photos of Ron in the Flybaby have been available for years.
>
> http://www.jouster.0catch.com/ronw.html
>
> - John Ousterhout -
>

[jsmith]

Ed Wischmeyer wrote:
>
> > Bought a digital video camera a week ago; fabricated a mount and
> installed
> > it on the Fly Baby's axle tube this weekend. Here's a quick snippet from
> a
> > 30-minute flight I took yesterday.
> > http://www.bowersflybaby.com/slip.mpg
>
> Cool video, but the soundtrack could stand to be squelched, like,
> completely! high dB wind noise ain't where it's at.

Go to Radio Shack and get a plug that will fit in the audio input jack.
Insert the plug and no noise will be recorded.

[Ron Wanttaja]

On Wed, 12 May 2004 17:26:14 GMT, jsmith > wrote:

>
>
>Ed Wischmeyer wrote:
>>
>> > Bought a digital video camera a week ago; fabricated a mount and
>> installed
>> > it on the Fly Baby's axle tube this weekend. Here's a quick snippet from
>> a
>> > 30-minute flight I took yesterday.
>> > http://www.bowersflybaby.com/slip.mpg
>>
>> Cool video, but the soundtrack could stand to be squelched, like,
>> completely! high dB wind noise ain't where it's at.
>
>Go to Radio Shack and get a plug that will fit in the audio input jack.
>Insert the plug and no noise will be recorded.

I have the video editing tools that let me get rid of (or reduce the volume
level) of the soundtrack, if I want. Unless the high audio level uses more
storage space on the Compact Flash, or somehow distorts the video, I'll
probably just let it ride. Been trying to remember to throw a piece of
duct tape over the microphone.

Ron Wanttaja

[Ron Wanttaja]

On Tue, 11 May 2004 02:00:30 GMT, Ron Wanttaja > wrote:

>My intent is to build mounts for other parts of the plane, and
>eventually edit clips together for a CD-movie.

Here's the view from the vertical stabilizer:

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/takeoff.mpg

It's about 2.5 MB, but by saving it with audio off and a better format,
it's better looking than the last one. Note how the camera frame rate, CCD
access time, and propeller speed produce some real odd effects with the
prop disk.

Ron Wanttaja

[Morgans]

"Ron Wanttaja" > wrote > Here's the view from the vertical
stabilizer:
>
> http://www.bowersflybaby.com/takeoff.mpg
>
> It's about 2.5 MB, but by saving it with audio off and a better format,
> it's better looking than the last one.
> Ron Wanttaja
>

Man, I sure am glad you are well enough to write this. The cras must have
been spectacuar, with the prop seperating from the plane, like that! :-)
--
Jim in NC


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[Ron Wanttaja]

On Sat, 15 May 2004 22:35:33 -0400, "Morgans" >
wrote:

>
>"Ron Wanttaja" > wrote > Here's the view from the vertical
>stabilizer:
>>
>> http://www.bowersflybaby.com/takeoff.mpg
>>
>> It's about 2.5 MB, but by saving it with audio off and a better format,
>> it's better looking than the last one.
>> Ron Wanttaja
>>
>
>Man, I sure am glad you are well enough to write this. The cras must have
>been spectacuar, with the prop seperating from the plane, like that! :-)

Yeah, that effect is pretty spectacular. Too bad, really, 'cause it really
distracts from the view. But what do I expect for a $100 video camera? :-)

Ron Wanttaja