6/14/2023 0 Comments Preflight checklistMost small airplanes have a heater like a car. You may want a light sweater on all but the hottest summer days. Temperatures drop as the aircraft gains altitude. Please be sure to credit SouthWings in any photos that are published.Bring the proper filters to avoid glare, and plan to stabilize the camera using your body, not the window. Bring a soft or rubberized bumper if needed. Please avoid bumping or resting your lens against the aircraft window at all times. However, aircraft vibrate while in the air, and the hard plastic of your lens vibrating on the glass will scratch the volunteer pilot’s windows causing hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage. Don’t scratch the windows! Most photographers know that the best way to avoid glare when shooting through glass is to bring your lens as close to the glass as possible.If you’re new to geotagging, check out our geotagging tutorial. Keep in mind that cell signals at altitude are often weak, so GPS features on mobile devices may be unreliable. Methods for tagging locations to your photos vary across devices, so test your system in advance and be sure that batteries are charged. Geotagging images can be a useful tool to remember where you shot your photos.If you are new to aerial photography, you may want to consider checking out our aerial photography tutorial. Wearing dark colors may help minimize window reflection issues. A polarizing filter may help with atmospheric haze. Be aware that there could be scratches, fog, or reflections when taking photos through a window. Only a few of our volunteer pilots’ planes have camera windows. Aerial photography can be very different than on the ground. Your pilot may not be familiar with the area and will be focused on flying and safety. For flight planners: be sure to discuss the flight route with your pilot and give them coordinates and a general description for the areas you would like to fly over. If you are the planner for this flight, know your waypoints and landmarks.The time to make sure that you can respect each other's boundaries is during the flight planning process. We encourage our volunteer pilots and their passengers to discuss if this is something they want to integrate into their pre-flight preparation. COVID testing is free for everyone at qualifying locations across the country. Talk to the pilot beforehand about masks, exposure to illness, any potential medical issues you may face, etc. Keep lines of communication open about health concerns and regulations.It happens and pilots know how to take care of uneasy passengers. Tell the pilot immediately if anything about the flight is making you uncomfortable. The pilot monitors weather and other safety considerations to decide if a flight can be safely conducted. Expect your pilot to explain their own way of handling ATC chatter. ![]() ![]() Pilots manage these competing communications differently. At times the pilot may need to divide his/her attention between the conversation occurring inside the aircraft while simultaneously receiving and acknowledging ATC instructions. Be aware that your pilot may need to communicate with Air Traffic Control (ATC).Your pilot will be focused on safety for the entirety of the flight, however takeoffs and landings are especially critical so please don’t ask the pilot questions at these times. ![]()
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