Action cameras, such as Garmin’s Virb Ultra 30, are all the rage today, when flight plans often include recording some of the in-flight action. Garmin hopes a new bundle of accessories specially designed for aviators will make shooting stunning HD footage easier than with earlier-generation cameras.
The aviation package includes a stereo headset audio cable to embed ATC communications into videos as well as a filter to eliminate propeller distortion while filming video in-flight or capturing high-quality still photos. The bundle also includes a cage mount that Garmin calls the smallest and lightest way to mount the Virb Ultra 30 inside the cockpit.
The waterproof Virb Ultra shoots in 4K HD/30fps and features Sensory TrulyHandsfree voice control that allows pilots to remotely operate the camera using plain English commands, even when it’s connected through the cockpit headset audio cable. The voice control also allows the pilot to tag a video at any point, a feature designed to make locating specific segments easier during replay.
The camera comes with an LCD color touchscreen, one-touch live streaming and built-in three-axis stabilization. The Ultra’s G-Metrix, an internal high-sensitivity GPS, accelerometer and gyroscope system, is capable of capturing aviation-specific data like aircraft pitch, roll, lateral acceleration and turn rate that can later be synced with a number of third-party video apps to create realistic cockpit scenes.
