Updates from the War on Wobblies

I thought I would begin our survey of the anti-Wobbly arsenal with a look at the venerable Tyler Mounts. Tyler Mounts, arguably the first productized aerial platform, are the metaphorical workhorses of the industry – kinda like an old style Chevy Pickup of the aerial world. It had been a number of years (perhaps a decade) since I last used a Tyler so I thought it would be fun to relive a little of my youth.

A Little History

For those not familiar with Tyler Mounts, the first prototype anti-Wobbly system flew in 1965 on John Sturges’ The Satan Bug and today, more than 40 years later, Tyler Mounts continue to see regular service through 34 global distribution centers.

Allowing skilled cameramen to capture Wobbly-reduced images from the air catapulted Tyler Mounts to the forefront of aerial stabilization products in the mid 1960’s. In their hay day of the late 1960’s through to the end of the 1970’s, Tyler Mounts ruled the sky and captured some of the more memorable aerial shots. The Tyler Mount was the anti-Wobbly weapon of choice as it offered SOC operators improvements in camera stability combined with an ease-of-use in steering that enabled them to seamlessly transition from the ground into the air.

In the late 1970’s the aerial cinematography industry changed forever with the introduction of gyro-stabilized aerial systems and the Tyler Mounts would never again rule the sky. They were simply more Wobbly than the gyro-stabilized products - even after gyros were integrated into Tyler Mounts in 1993.

Even though they are much more Wobbly than other weapons in today’s arsenal, it’s important to note that Tyler Mounts continue to have a place in the fight against Wobbly. To this day the systems are utilized on many productions and have earned their workhorse status by flying over 200,000 hours.

My Test Drive

I test drove the Tyler Mount on a clear April day through Classic Helicopters. The system itself was worn from many years of service but was also clearly well maintained. Holding the system after all these years, it felt like putting on an old familiar set of gloves. I immediately knew why the product continues to enjoy a heavy workload despite antiquated technology: it is just so damn easy to operate. While gyro-stabilized systems can be finicky and you need to practice to achieve peak performance, the Tyler Systems can be steered and operated with minimal training. The downside of course is that it can only do so much for you.

The other thing remarkable about the Tyler Mount is the payload versatility. While the system I tested had a basic 35mm camera, it also supports a range of 35mm, 16mm and HDTV camera payloads. Swapping payloads is straight forward and requires only minimal technical competence. In my opinion, the payload versatility of the Tyler Mount is a huge advantage over gyro-stabilized systems.

Operating the system at wide angles, the system performed well and the ease of operation made it a real pleasure. But as I pushed the glass to longer focal lengths, I found the steering a little too loose and it became harder to track objects. The best analogy I can come up with is that the steering was kinda like that of a 1970 Chevy when I am used to the tighter, power steering of a modern car. Nobody should be surprised that the lack of real stabilization becomes an obvious constraint as shots become more extreme.

The Tyler Mount has a long and enduring legacy in the battle against Wobbly and it still has a role to play. The value of the Tyler Mount in the anti-Wobbly arsenal is that it provides ‘okay’ performance at a very low cost. The reality is that its limited performance will always leave high-end productions wanting more. But not everyone is doing high-end productions. So if your need is limited to a few wide-angle aerial shots and budgets are more important than stability and precision control, then the Tyler Mount is a good option to consider.