Re: Any tips for shooting from a Cessna plane?

Diego wrote: "Positive input and personal exerience stories welcome. Evagelism of apocalispis please refrain."

I don't think anyone is trying to be flippant or apocalyptic, rather with an abundance of experience they want to warn you of adverse possibilities in making your outlined aerial shot.

FYI: Since this is such an important shot for everyone, I would caution that the director will most likely want to ride along on the flite . . . and also take his PA since you will have an extra seat, and pile in a couple of still cameras. This should load down the 172 pretty well.
Your camera will most likely be shooting forward at aproximately 10-11 o'clock, to frame-out the strut and prop. That should look nice for the coastal view. However, the camera most likely will need to be tilted and panned some as the pilot climbs and banks over the cliffs. . . then frame back as he levels over the countryside.
You will most likely have to pan to 9 o'clock, along the left wing axis, for the pilot to make a continuously banked left turn around the talent. At this point you will have the wing strut dead in the middle of the frame.
If you decide not to pan to 9 o'clock, rather to hold the earlier 10-11 o'clock fixed position, then the pilot will need to point the nose of the airplane down and crab the nose left and into a steep left spiral in order to keep the talent in the frame. You will then crash the airplane into the ground.

The director should make advanced plans for where he wants the bodies sent.

Ahh, show biz.

Ken

P.S. The camera must have flexibility to pan and tilt and an un-encumbered view in order to maintain good compositional integrity That's why everyone has been so insistent with their recommendations. Otherwise, regardless of what the director envisions, without the right equipment and without heeding an experienced pro's advise you're guaranteed a flop.