MyPilotPro mount - a review

Ever since I transitioned to complex aircraft (predominantly), I’ve thought it would be kind of cool to get video of the landing gear in operation. Also, more of a picture of outside of the aircraft, not shooting through scratched and curved plexiglass, etc. Because this is America, someone already had that idea, and implemented a solid solution: The MyPilotPro Swivel GoPro Airplane Mount. (Also pictured: An optional $5 Wrench.)

This thing rocks. Clamps down hard on the tie-down loop under the airplane’s wing (though with neoprene washers to dampen vibration), and kept everything neatly in place even at 130mph in an Arrow II. I picked up a cheap refurbished Hero 3+ Silver and hooked it up, and shot this video (the first half is my first take-off, the latter part is my last landing; the camera didn't budge an inch through four trips through the pattern to full-stop landings). This is raw video straight from the camera, no processing or stabilization, etc.:

Very cool. A recommended purchase. Especially if you want to get exterior footage but you don't own the plane and don’t trust suction cup mounts on the outside (I don’t; I’ve had my GoPro-brand and RAM suction cup mount each fail a couple of times, but when you’re hanging hundreds of dollars of camera equipment at 5,000' even one is too many failures).

My only gripe, and it has nothing to do with the mount, is the limited battery life of the GoPro. I’m hoping I can shut the camera down en route, leaving WiFi running, and turn it back on and start it recording again at the destination, on longer flights. (As it was, with WiFi going, the GoPro 3+ Silver lasted about 0.9 hours (Hobbs time) recording 1080p/60.) If only the GoPro app wasn’t so flaky! (Both my 3+ Black and 3+ Silver seem to have trouble connecting; force-quit the app at least once, often several times, and eventually everything usually works. Frustrating, and apparently not a unique experience.)