In our club a discussion is ongoing whether to allow cameras to be held outside the (club owned) glider (through the sliding window) with the intent to take selfies and to make videos and photos from that viewpoint. This practice is being promoted through numerous videos, some with hundreds of 000's of views. Our concerns are manifold: damage to the canopy from mishandling and wind forces, loss of control of the glider and distraction from observing the airspace. Today I found this article:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...rash/22785475/

Not sure if the photo-taking is the main cause for the fatal accident but it brings my point home . Hand-held cameras are dangerous and should be used only by the non-flying pilot, that limits its use to 2-seaters. Has any other club found it necessary to discourage or limit these activities? Of course we can only prohibit this for club gliders.

Herb