ISAP - V

Safety for

Air-to-Air Photography

Bruce Moore, Photo Pilot

Jim Koepnick, EAA Photo

Flying together for EAA Photo Since 1991

Bruce Moore

Jim Koepnick

Rule #1

No picture is ever

worth compromising safety to obtain.

A mid-air collision can ruin your day…

The keys to success when undertaking any difficult or

dangerous task are:• Planning.

• Working within your experience and skill level.

• Ability to monitor the mission while in progress. (Situation Awareness & Risk Assessment)

• Knowing when to quit.

Pilot qualifications

• Do you know your photo pilot?

• Do you know the pilot(s) of the subject aircraft?

• Do they have formation experience?

• Are they competent (and current) in aircraft to be flown?

Mission Briefing

• What are the mission (photo) objectives?• Who is controlling the

mission? • Where and when will

the shoot take place?• Who is formation

leader?• How will aircraft form

up?• What maneuvers will be performed?• How are communications to take place?

Cover all details in mission briefing

OTHER TOPICS:• (If necessary) How to fly

formation.• Formation positions.• Multi-ship formations.• What shots are you trying to get

and how will you communicate position changes.

• Positive transfer of lead.• Lost sight procedures.• Fuel requirements.• Frequencies.

1) Plan the Flight2) Brief the Plan3) Fly the Brief

Beware of attempting tasks not covered in the

briefing or tasks performed differently than briefed.

Leader’s Responsibilities

• Traffic scan.• Navigation.• Mission timing.• Smooth and predictable

maneuvering.• Directing Subject Aircraft.

Photo plane is usually the leader of the formation and is responsible for:

Wingman’s Responsibilities

The wingman should follow the movements of the leader.

The Wingman is usually the Subject Aircraft

Wingman is responsible for separation and must be looking at leader at all times.

The wingman should respond to the commands of the leader.

Formation Rules

• Keep eyes on leader.• No “belly-up” on

join-up or overshoot

• Lost sight procedures.

• “Knock-it-off”.

Aircraft Factors• Controllability• Range of comfortable handling

speeds• Power reserve• Blind spots • Wake turbulence• Fuel endurance

Controllability

Range of comfortable handling speeds

Power reserve

Flying with aircraft that are faster than the photo plane requires other considerations

Larger formations and formations of dissimilar aircraft require more planning.

• How will the photo formation assemble?

• Who needs to go fast, who needs to go slow?

Blind Spots

Unusual Maneuvering

• Never ask for maneuvers that all pilots involved have not done many times before.

Don’t ask the subject pilot to fly on you when:

– Shot angle does not allow subject pilot to see the Photo Plane.

– Or when subject pilot must concentrate on other than the Photo Plane (such as when doing landings or splash-downs).

Having the Photo Plane fly on the Subject Aircraft is also a good technique when the Subject Plane has poor maneuverability or is not skilled in formation flying.

Wake turbulence

• Don’t fly overlapping formation

Use Caution

• When maneuvering at low altitudes.

Watch out for terrain & towers.

• When maneuvering at slow airspeeds.

Watch out for poor maneuverability and danger of stalls.

Communications

• Who is mission leader?

• Who is controlling mission communications?

• Call signs (KISS)• Frequencies• Hand Signals

Hand Signals

Traffic Scan

• Leader must be able to scan for traffic.

• Use an observer if your plane permits (also useful for navigation tasks).

When you are not controlling the mission, but are a passenger taking “photos of opportunity”

• At briefing make notes of mission so you will be ready for the shots.

• Ask if you can make suggestions to manipulate the mission to your needs.

• Do not interfere with pilots when performing demanding tasks (tight formation, aerobatic maneuvers, gunnery, take-offs & landings).

How you can monitor the mission

• Watch the subject (and let the your pilot know):

• Is he looking at you?• Is his station keeping

smooth?• Is he following

directions?• IS THE MISSION

GOING SAFELY?

Beware of:

• Pilot’s that do not take the briefing seriously.• Show-off pilots.• Pilots that want to run your mission.• Pilots that do not follow the briefed procedures.• No radio missions.

How the photographer can compromise safety

• Photographer or photo gear can interfere with controls.

• Photographer’s mic. catching wind noise can make communications difficult.

• Photographer can cause distraction of pilot.

• Photographer can influence pilots to attempt unsafe maneuvers.

Formation Flying Guides

Airspace

Caution for:

Airport arrival & departure routes.

Military training routes and areas.

Restricted and Prohibited areas.

TFRs

TFR’s

NOTAMS

Don’ts• Don’t fly without a briefing.• Don’t pressure pilots to do maneuvers in

which they are not competent and current.• Don’t continue a mission when things are not

working out.

If you miss your shots today, there is always tomorrow… If you come home from this mission.

RemotesA remote mounted camera will let you get unique angles and shots that you cannot get from another aircraft or from the ground.

However…

• Will the remote affect the aircraft aerodynamically?

• Will the remote interfere with the pilot, his flight controls, instruments, or his visibility.

• Does the pilot have to trigger the camera, and if so how distracting will this be?

Safety from the Photographers point of view

Or…The wrong way to start your day!

Body restraints

Personal care

•Protection from the sun for your skin and eyes

•Dehydration

•Adaptable harnesses for different applications

•Safe anchor points in aircraft

Safety from the Photographers point of view

In the Beginning…My first experience with air to air photography was in the back of a T34…buckled in with the seat belt…looking forward and very restricted with trying to take pictures to the side and back. Safe, but frustrating from a photographer’s point of view

In the Beginning…Trying to shoot from a B25 or T6 introduced me to the gunner’s belt. Less restrictive than a regular seat belt, but still bulky. I also wondered about that 5 feet of rope that tied my belt to the aircraft frame…how far out was I going to bounce on the fuselage if I fell out?

B-25 Tail-Gunner Position

In the Beginning…The first time I shot from a Cherokee 6 I didn’t have a safety belt or harness. I ended up running a seat belt around my belt to keep me from falling out that huge hole in the side of the plane. And that was the beginning of looking for better safety methods.

Now…

Safety is always First…

and adaptable to each aircraft

RestraintsNow I have three options available on a mission…adaptable to the

type of aircraft I’m flying in

The Belt

The 5-Point Harness

The Climbing Harness

The Belt

Advantages: Simple to attach, heavy duty, makes a good back-up, fits all body sizes

Disadvantages: Capable of slipping off if not buckled tight, heavy, bulky,

The Belt

The 5-Point Harness

Advantages: Won’t slip off, multiple attachment points, strong and secure

Disadvantages: Difficult to put on (may be difficult to use), can be pricey

The 5-Point Harness

The Climbing Harness

Advantages: Seems the most versatile, not overly restricting, strong

Disadvantages: one size does fit all, some initial difficulty putting it on

The Climbing Harness

The Climbing HarnessTips on attachment

Always tie down to a secure anchor spot on the belt, or use the belt itself

Don’t use the accessory loops

Accessories

High Strength Nylon Webbing. Inexpensive AND dependable.

Can be cut to length depending on your particular application.

Remember, keep the length short enough to keep you from

exiting the aircraft!

Commercial rope sold with belt restraint systems. Note that you can adjust length of rope or webbing by knotting.

Accessories

Always use carabineers approved for climbing, not the ones designed to hold your keys

Anchor points in aircraftEach aircraft will have the same basic anchor points, but check out each beforehand to see which location will work for your setup.

Anchor Points•Seat belt brackets are strongest point

•Seat brackets/frame are next strongest point, but check out mounting structure first

Above all, don’t just look for the easiest location

Anchor Point – Front Seatbelt Bracket

Anchor Point – Rear Seat Belt Bracket

Carabineer through seat belt bracket

Nylon webbing loop added before carabineer allows adjustment of length

Anchor Point – Seat Belt

Anchor Point – Seat Frame

Carabineer to seat frame

Anchor Points – SpecialWhen needed, use two attachment points

Odds and Ends

Canon Hand Grip

Carbon monoxide detector

Tie the correct knots

Your Personal Well-being

OK…so you haven’t fallen out of the aircraft. Don’t forget these items for your long-term protection

Your Personal Well-being

Protection from the sun

•Higher altitudes increase UV exposure

•Increased risk of skin cancer

•Increased risk of glaucoma

•Reflection of rays off clouds increase UV exposure

Your Personal Well-being

Protection from the sun

•Use sunscreen with high SPF

•Chemical reaction breaks down in 2 hours, so re-apply frequently

Your Personal Well-being

Protection from the sun

•Wear eye protection

•Wear a hat when possible

Your Personal Well-being

Remember, even using all the types of protection available, as well as self-exams, consider annual check-ups with a Dermatologist.

Your Personal Well-beingProtection from dehydrating

High altitude, wind and sun can dehydrate you without you being aware of it…drink fluids on a regular basis

In Conclusion…

Be adaptable to the plane you are flying in…pick an appropriate restraint…pick an appropriate anchor point. Make safety as important as the quality of your image

Parachutes

• Use ‘m if you got ‘em!• Prevention is best,

but when things go wrong they are nice to have.

Questions ?

~ End ~