Light Sport Group has reached an agreement with TerraTracker, Inc., distributors of the popular Contour HD helmet cameras, to introduce an aviation version of the camera system. The Contour HD 1080P A/V-ator Edition was designed specifically for aviation applications, recording cockpit audio through a proprietary circuit that reduces noise.
Light Sport Group, which offers Light Sport Aircraft sales, service, and insurance, originally developed the camera system for its own business. An appearance at Sebring’s Light Sport Expo generated enough interest to pursue production, and Contour HD A/V-ator Edition systems are now available for purchase. The system includes the 1080P Contour HD Camera, Light Sport Group’s proprietary noise-cancelling circuit, simple plug-and-play aviation headset adapters for clear cockpit audio, a Contour-specific suction cup mount, 8GB memory card, and internal rechargeable battery.
The Contour HD A/V-ator Edition was specifically developed for flight schools and aircraft dealers, as the camera’s 135° wide-angle lens can capture the pilot, passenger, flight instruments, and outside environment. Schools can generate additional revenue by offering DVD packages to students, while supplementing training by allowing students to “fly” the same flight from home without the added burden of flying the airplane. Pilots flying for pleasure purposes can document cross-country flights, hone their flying skills, and share flying experiences with friends and family.
The A/V-ator Edition can perform many of the functions of a “black box,” recording ATC communications, intercom chatter, and aircraft alerts. With the clarity of 1080P High-Definition video, cockpit instruments can be easily read and the environment outside is recorded in vivid color, company officials said. Videos are transferred via a MicroSD card to the user’s computer, allowing for the creation of YouTube videos, promotional materials, and flight training media that can provide an additional revenue center for flight training operations.
For more information: LightSportGroup.com or 321-252-8359.
That’s what the flight data recorder and voice recorder are for. It’s very unlikely that cockpit camera’s will find themselves aboard commercial flights due to commercial pilots unwilling to be viewed real-time and the labor unions that protect the pilots interests and not the public.
We need to lobby to get cameras in the cockpit of commercial aircraft. what a grea augment to cockpit voice recorders; what a great tool to ensure FAR compliance and of course determining the “what happened” after significant events.