Ottopilot

I wouldn't want to see them.

HSLD

Yep that's me, LOL

I'm not SkyKing by a long shot, I only have 2500 hours dual given (some of it in cubs) and about 12,500 more hours in airline operations. I'm not trying to be condescending at all, I'm merely suggesting that based on my experience watching pilots go "heads-down" during ground ops, a TV monitor for ground operations in a light single is more of a distraction than an asset. You have all of the tools you need right now, if your wingtip clearance is in doubt turn the motor off, get out and look. If you're frequently finding yourself in a situation where your wingtip clearance is in doubt, you may want to review your taxi technique and aircraft geometry.

Any other CFIs have input here?

Gjn290

Ok, I'll play devil's advocate. What's to say, that with a tail mounted camera, oil wouldn't have gotten on the face of the camera?

Sorry about the loss of your friend.

JohnBurke

Such melodrama. Wow.

You want a camera to see the wingtips of a cruiser? Really? Can't actually keep the airplane from hitting something without seeing your wingtips?

There are a lot of aircraft out there in which one can't see the wingtips from the cockpit. Big deal. A poor carpenter blames his tools. No saran wrap wing covering, and that's to blame for you hitting something? Review 91.3. If you're pilot in command, the buck really does stop with you.

Far, far be it from me to lecture you, expert. This ever happen to you? It's happened to me.

If a PT6 "blows apart," one has much bigger issues than being able to see out.

Mine wasn't a Caravan; it was an air tanker in the middle of a very active wildfire, and yes, it wasn't a PT6A that failed, but it was a turbopropeller TPE-331-10. It was a catastrophic failure with loss of all oil. I put mine on a mountainside. No, a camera wouldn't have helped.

Not even an armor-plated one.

DirectTo

Even then, the steering of a single-engined Cessna is good for what, ten degrees either way? Would be quite a feat to use a tail-mounted camera, on a small (say Garmin 530 sized) screen, to actively dodge trees.

I'm very sorry for your friend and your loss...it's a reminder to us all to always use your shoulder harness!


That's a hell of a situation...glad you're here to share the story.

JohnBurke

When I put it down on the hillside, things were moving violently in the cockpit, my vision was badly blurred by the shaking and vibration, and sparks were flying. I was very busy on the stick operating the aircraft until it came to a rest, and the last thing I would have been able to do, or had any desire to do, was go heads-down in the cockpit to watch a movie.

Even in a windscreen obscured with oil, bird detritus, or retardant (or blown out, like I experienced several years ago during a windscreen failure under pressurization), one can always look elsewhere...such as out the side.

On roll-out during a forced landing, one is supposed to see tree branches and go around them? How, exactly.

Ever flown with a camera as one's eyes? I certainly have, and it's not as easy as it might seem, particularly given that its a two dimensional image. Ever made off-field landings on unimproved locations and rough airstrips, or mountainsides?

Gjn290

This concept seems it would be unsafe by causing unnecessary distraction in the event of an emergency, or in normal operating procedures. If you can't taxi without a camera do you think you really need an added distraction? If the only reason for needing it would be for taxiing, well, learn how to taxi. I think that was the first thing I ever learned to do.

Remind me never to park an airplane next to you.

FlyFastLiveSlow

Gulfstream puts them on their jets (the larger ones at least). It's an amazing tool and it's funny some of the resistance to them. Like telephones, cameras are surprisingly usefull. Both are in my "why didn't we think of the sooner" category.

KC10 FATboy

This made me laugh out loud. haha

It reminds me of situation that happened to me during an air-to-air refueling operation one night in some nasty weather. The boom operator of the tanker says to us, "OH wow, you guys wouldn't believe the ice buildup all over your airplane ... and the St. Elmos fire dancing all over your airplane." He kept going on and on about how bad it was and how he'd never seen it so bad. Finally I told him to shut up as he was freaking us out. haha

bliddel

Now you are just being openly hostile, for no good reason. When did I say I can't actually keep the airplane from hitting something without seeing my wingtips? I didn't. You are just so quick to assume that you know everything and everyone else is a moron that you think you can put words in my mouth.

Like anyone else here or anywhere else, some of us have to learn some of our lessons the hard way. Once in 250 hours is hardly routine. Furthermore, I would leave my hypothetical camera off, except where my only other safe option would be to shut down (obstruct) the entire taxiway while I shut down, get out, and see for myself. I agree with you and others here who, like me, keep their eyes out of the cockpit 99.9% of the time. That still leaves 0.1% where instruments are worthwhile tools, not crutches. Don't assume.

Did you have oil all over your windsheild? I thought most air tankers were multi-engine with none up front. Lucky for you that there were no trees. I said "Lucky", not necessarily "skillful", nor knowledgeable.