AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2023 - 43

DAVID TULIS
Cloud 9 action camera strut mount
Backcountry-proven design cradles camera, babies your strut
BY DAVID TULIS
CLOUDBASE ENGINEERING'S L I N E of
adaptable, strut-based mounts give pilots
a lightweight, robust option that can be
swapped from one aircraft to another to
document your next aviation adventure.
I stumbled across the patented camera
mount while planning a springtime Rocky
Mountain crossing in my Piper Tri-Pacer.
A posting in the BackcountryPilot.org
forum with several positive comments led
me to pilot and aviation enthusiast Marc
Webster's Cloud 9 camera mounts.
The sailplane, hang glider, and private
pilot with an eye for adventure designed
and fabricated an easily stowable,
contoured aluminum camera mount
embedded with a 360-degree swivel ball
head and rubber-bushing shoulders that
securely hugs struts without damaging
them and provides a solid platform for
documenting aviation adventures.
A pair of hook-and-loop straps
attached to the top and bottom cradle and
cushion an extruded mount against a lift
strut, while a curved, V-shape rear " bund "
provides lateral and vertical support. The
rubber bumpers-and-strap setup minimize
annoying vibration.
Another advantage of the setup is that
different aircraft are accommodated by
simply swapping the rear support and adding
or subtracting the appropriate-length
strap configuration. A standard tripod
1/4 x 20 threaded thumbscrew secures a
GoPro, Insta360, or equivalent camera.
Myriad high-wing aircraft from
American Champions to Super Cubs
can be fitted for the mounts, which retail
from $125 to $135. Kitfox, Maule, Rans,
Stinson, Taylorcraft, and Zenith owners
can also rejoice.
Biplanes including Bücker, Stearman,
and Great Lakes models are not forgotten,
and Webster is working on designs
for Aircams, Wacos, and some cantilevered
aircraft.
The Glendale, California-based
engineer founded Cloudbase Engineering
in 2014 to document his hang glider habit.
He reached out to CubCrafters early
on to gauge interest in the fixed-wing
community and Carbon Cub and Top
Cub models were the first to adopt the
backcountry mount. Word quickly spread
and the side business was soon born.
I contacted Webster by email and he
emailed me back immediately that he'd
begin working on the mount and straps
for my 1953 Piper Tri-Pacer. He followed
up with a phone call explaining how I
could interchange the straps for any other
aircraft I fly. An additional email confirmed
shipping, and a few days later the package
arrived. A soft pouch keeps the mount,
straps, and spare rubber bushings from
scratching cameras in your flight bag. The
personal customer service was a welcome
treat, and a 30-day money-back guarantee
sealed the deal.
In use, the versatile mount was easy
to attach, provided a solid footing with
almost infinite adjustments, and stayed
securely in place for 2,400 miles-
including a rough taxi to the ramp after a
main landing gear tube/tire blowout upon
landing in Indiana.
david.tulis@aopa.org
cloudbaseengineering.com
AOPA PILOT / September 2023
43
http://www.BackcountryPilot.org http://www.cloudbaseengineering.com
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2023

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