In this day and age in the hobby it's almost uncommon if you are not uploading video of your flights on YouTube.
To say videos of RC flights are ubiquitous these days is like saying there's just a few stars in the night sky. You could spend the rest of your life looking up all the RC flying-related videos on YouTube and still not get through them all. But why should that stop you and I from adding to the pile? It can be very rewarding both for the flyer and the audience to have your flight video published online. Whether you get 100 views or 1,000,000 views, there's true worth in watching someone's flying experience.
In the past six years or so that I have recorded and published my flight videos to YouTube I have been almost embarrassed at the sheer number of videos I have published. Several hundreds of videos if not approaching a thousand or more. While it's easy to feel somewhat silly about the sheer number, I think back about some of the comments I've received through the years, thanking me for this or that video, because of this or that reason. So always keep in mind, even if you think your video is inconsequential, and nobody cares...Trust me...Somebody out there is watching, and caring, and it could even have a real impact.
If you are a bit shy, or not quite sure how to get started, the internet is full of resources to help. Including my own quick tips:
1) Invest in a decent HD mini camera. Most flyers these days aren't strapping GoPros to their model aircraft. Why would you when you have cameras out there for half the price with almost identical resolution and HD ability? The Mobius 2 Action Camera is my personal go-to cam that I have used now dozens and dozens of times with resounding success. 1080p HD with 60 FPS (Frames Per Second) that looks every bit as crisp and sharp as any GoPro footage I have seen and for more than half the cost and weight. There are other great mini cams as well. Just so you don't think I am only pumping up the product we sell, look up "#16 Keychain Cam" for another decent alternative.
2) If you're not afraid of touch up paint for your model, look no further than Gorilla Tape for your rock star adhesive when it comes to locking your mini cam in place. I like to use and explore multiple camera angles for my flights which means it doesn't make any kind of sense to place a permanent mounting fixture on one area of the model as some do. So instead I use Gorilla Tape to lock my cam in place. My buddy and I have a running joke that we pretty much believe we could create an RC model airplane out of Gorilla Tape and it would fly. That is how high of regard we have for the stuff. Now yes, it will peel back most paint but if you don't mind grabbing a quart or sample size of matching paint from your local hardware store, then what are you waiting for? Now if you do mind? Well, I can't help you there...
:P
3) YouTube is crazy user friendly. If you don't have an account, sign up. They are not the boogie monsters. They don't take your personal information, send it to the CIA and send Seal Team 5 spooks to your location. In fact, they don't even farm out your personal info like MANY unsuspecting companies do. <grouchy face here>. Once you have an account, it's easy to upload videos, and if you are overwhelmed, simply search "How to upload videos to YouTube" and you will find more information than you could ever ask for.
4) Now this is going to hit a few nerves but I feel it's my duty as someone who has been immersed - no - saturated in the hobby for the past several years to offer solid video recording advice:
Do NOT film your flights with your camera strapped to your baseball cap or hat. Why? Because one, the view we get to see isn't exactly the view you get to see. Maybe the camera's lens is higher or lower than your vantage point. But far more frustrating than that is that you have no way to zoom in so what the audience gets to see is a camera that is generally missing the target 60% of the time AND when it does show your model in view it looks like a gnat moving slowly across a TV screen at 3 in the morning. YAWN. (Sorry, I know, tough love).
Do NOT bother having your buddy, brother, sister's husband or that neighbor you promised you would take with you to watch you fly film your flight AND publish it if they have NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE DOING. If I had a dollar for every video I have watched where the video person couldn't keep focus and/or missed the landing I could buy one of our awesome EDF 90mm jets. Don't take the easy road! Find someone who actually cares about the hobby AND cares about delivering quality footage. Nobody wants to see how well the camera person missed your landing or had half your flight out of focus.
I know. It's not always easy to find that perfect person. Maybe your only opportunity to record your flights is said cam on your hat. I don't want to discourage you from doing that if that is your only way to publish your videos AND if it is? Then use the tools available to you to do the best job you can to deliver the best possible video you can. You will be rewarded for your efforts in one way or another. Don't get caught up in views and comments. Some of my favorite videos and viewer comments came from videos that had maybe 100 views or less. I've had videos that had thousands and thousands of views and comments that didn't impact me like the other less viewed videos did.
Always remember, it's about quality, not quantity.
I hope this is helpful for some of you out there looking into the world of publishing your flight videos. It's a big flight video universe out there, add to it and make your mark!
To say videos of RC flights are ubiquitous these days is like saying there's just a few stars in the night sky. You could spend the rest of your life looking up all the RC flying-related videos on YouTube and still not get through them all. But why should that stop you and I from adding to the pile? It can be very rewarding both for the flyer and the audience to have your flight video published online. Whether you get 100 views or 1,000,000 views, there's true worth in watching someone's flying experience.
In the past six years or so that I have recorded and published my flight videos to YouTube I have been almost embarrassed at the sheer number of videos I have published. Several hundreds of videos if not approaching a thousand or more. While it's easy to feel somewhat silly about the sheer number, I think back about some of the comments I've received through the years, thanking me for this or that video, because of this or that reason. So always keep in mind, even if you think your video is inconsequential, and nobody cares...Trust me...Somebody out there is watching, and caring, and it could even have a real impact.
If you are a bit shy, or not quite sure how to get started, the internet is full of resources to help. Including my own quick tips:
1) Invest in a decent HD mini camera. Most flyers these days aren't strapping GoPros to their model aircraft. Why would you when you have cameras out there for half the price with almost identical resolution and HD ability? The Mobius 2 Action Camera is my personal go-to cam that I have used now dozens and dozens of times with resounding success. 1080p HD with 60 FPS (Frames Per Second) that looks every bit as crisp and sharp as any GoPro footage I have seen and for more than half the cost and weight. There are other great mini cams as well. Just so you don't think I am only pumping up the product we sell, look up "#16 Keychain Cam" for another decent alternative.
2) If you're not afraid of touch up paint for your model, look no further than Gorilla Tape for your rock star adhesive when it comes to locking your mini cam in place. I like to use and explore multiple camera angles for my flights which means it doesn't make any kind of sense to place a permanent mounting fixture on one area of the model as some do. So instead I use Gorilla Tape to lock my cam in place. My buddy and I have a running joke that we pretty much believe we could create an RC model airplane out of Gorilla Tape and it would fly. That is how high of regard we have for the stuff. Now yes, it will peel back most paint but if you don't mind grabbing a quart or sample size of matching paint from your local hardware store, then what are you waiting for? Now if you do mind? Well, I can't help you there...
:P
3) YouTube is crazy user friendly. If you don't have an account, sign up. They are not the boogie monsters. They don't take your personal information, send it to the CIA and send Seal Team 5 spooks to your location. In fact, they don't even farm out your personal info like MANY unsuspecting companies do. <grouchy face here>. Once you have an account, it's easy to upload videos, and if you are overwhelmed, simply search "How to upload videos to YouTube" and you will find more information than you could ever ask for.
4) Now this is going to hit a few nerves but I feel it's my duty as someone who has been immersed - no - saturated in the hobby for the past several years to offer solid video recording advice:
Do NOT film your flights with your camera strapped to your baseball cap or hat. Why? Because one, the view we get to see isn't exactly the view you get to see. Maybe the camera's lens is higher or lower than your vantage point. But far more frustrating than that is that you have no way to zoom in so what the audience gets to see is a camera that is generally missing the target 60% of the time AND when it does show your model in view it looks like a gnat moving slowly across a TV screen at 3 in the morning. YAWN. (Sorry, I know, tough love).
Do NOT bother having your buddy, brother, sister's husband or that neighbor you promised you would take with you to watch you fly film your flight AND publish it if they have NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE DOING. If I had a dollar for every video I have watched where the video person couldn't keep focus and/or missed the landing I could buy one of our awesome EDF 90mm jets. Don't take the easy road! Find someone who actually cares about the hobby AND cares about delivering quality footage. Nobody wants to see how well the camera person missed your landing or had half your flight out of focus.
I know. It's not always easy to find that perfect person. Maybe your only opportunity to record your flights is said cam on your hat. I don't want to discourage you from doing that if that is your only way to publish your videos AND if it is? Then use the tools available to you to do the best job you can to deliver the best possible video you can. You will be rewarded for your efforts in one way or another. Don't get caught up in views and comments. Some of my favorite videos and viewer comments came from videos that had maybe 100 views or less. I've had videos that had thousands and thousands of views and comments that didn't impact me like the other less viewed videos did.
Always remember, it's about quality, not quantity.
I hope this is helpful for some of you out there looking into the world of publishing your flight videos. It's a big flight video universe out there, add to it and make your mark!
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