Some KAP-Terms

TermExplanation
Aft:The tail or stern of a kite or ship. In kite jargon, this is also the trailing edge.
AKA :American Kitefliers Association
Anchor:Device to which you attach the kite line to keep the line at fixed position.
Angle of attack:The angle between the kite chord-line and the horizontal when the kite is in flight.
Angle of flight:The angle measured between the horizontal and the vertical position of the kite.
Aspect ratio:In a rectangle, the comparative relationship between two adjoining sides.
AuRiCo:Automatic Rig Control, an electronic device to control a rig.
AutoKAP:KAP in which a timing device is used to repeatedly trigger a camera shutter and/or control the camera rotations.
BAP:balloon or Blimp Aerial Photography
Batut:Arthur Batut is the father of Kite Aerial Photography (KAP).
BEAK©:The Brooxes Electric AutoKAP Kit takes pictures automatically while you fly the kite.
Beaufort scale:In KAP discussions, wind strength is often refered to in a Beaufort (Bft) value.
Becot modification:Modifications to a parafoil kite that improve stability in stronger winds without using a tail.
Block:A pulley that some picavets use.
Bow:Either the leading edge of a kite or the bend of a spar or spine of a kite.
Bridle:The line or lines that connect the sail of the kite to the flying line. This bridle defines the angle of attack and/or the shape of the kite in flight.
Bubble panoramas:A full 360 degrees panorama showing the entire surroundings. These panoramas can be made by stitching two or more (fisheye) images together.
Camera rig:See Rig.
Carabiner:A small metal loop with a sprung, hinged gate to attach or detach line.
Carp pole:A pole on which you attach a camera rig, from which you take photographs
CHDK:A firmware enhancement that operates on a number of Canon Cameras
Collar rig:A type of camera rig for kite aerial photography
Counter:A device that (remotely) counts the number of shutter releases
CVCF:Cerf-Volant Club de France or French Kiters Club
Delta:A family of framed kites characterized by their triangular wings.
Discussion forum:Many-if not most-English language KAP discussions take place at Cris Benton’s foru
Dopero:Double Pearson Roller kite
DTM (Digital Terrain Model) or DEM (Digital Elevation Model):Digital Terrain (Elevation) Model. These models are comparable to an elevation map of for example the earth surface.
Eight:A tie-down device to connect the kite line with the anchor line. Originally this 8-shaped piece of aluminium is used by climbers to rappel down steep mountain hills.
Enblend:An application that smooths the density transitions between stitched or merged photographs, such as multi-image- panoramas.
Exif:EXchangeable Image File format
Eyebolts:The lines on which the picavet hangs pass through eyebolts.
FAA:Federal Aviation Administration
Fins or flares:Also keels or rudders. Pieces of fabric positioned parallel to the wind, often supported by the bridle lines. These parts help a kite to remain in a stable position in the sky.
Flickr:A Web site for displaying and sharing photographs, where many kapers post their photos.
FLIBBKite aerial photography days in Bad Bevensen
Flowform:Popular with many KAPers. Flowforms are soft, sparless kites, invented by Robert Sutton.
Fore:the bow (rhymes with cow), front, nose, or leading edge or area of a kite or ship.
Forum:A place on the internet within a site in which people can discuss topics with other people. A Forum is separted by topic sections and those are divided by sections called “threads”
Frame or cradle:KAP camera rigs or cradles are usually constructed as frames.
Gamma Hook:A device to connect your kite line to the anchor strap or line
GentLED:A range of devices for triggering the shutter or zoom of cameras remotely
Hangups©:Lightweight connectors for attaching a Picavet suspension to the kite line
Helikite:A combination of a balloon and kite
Image stitching:The combining of more than one adjacent image to form a larger image
Intervalometer:A timer that automatically takes a picture at intervals
IR:A camera’s infra-red sensors for use with remote controls
JKPA:Japan Kite (aerial) Photography Association
KAP:Kite Aerial Photography
KAPanorama:A panorama photo made from a camera hung from a kite line. Such photos may be from one or more exposures.
Kaperchief:Camera rig fashioned out of a handkerchief or cloth.
KAPiFanøKite Aerial Photography in Fanø/DK
KAPiFrance:Kite Aerial Photography in France
KAPiSco:Kite Aerial Photography in Scotland
KAPiTA:Kite Aerial Photography in Tahiti. Tentatively scheduled for October 2009. More information should be available soon.
KAPWA:Kite Aerial Photographers Worldwide Association
KAP Feather:A stabilization device for rigs
KAV:Kite Aerial Video photography
Kite:A flying tethered man-made object
Knots–speed:A unit of speed
Knots–tying:Fastening or securing of linear material
Leading edge:The fore, bow (rhymes with cow), or nose of a kite or ship. Also known as LE.
Line:The kite string
Line laundry:Items kite flyers add to their line between the ground and the kite
Mini-KAPiCA:An informal gathering KAP enthusiasts, such the event of 12 April 2008 at Bayfront Park in Menlo Park, California
Oblique:Camera angle between horizontal and vertical.
Orthorectify:The processes of reprojecting a photograph so that the effects of camera tilt and lens distortion are minimized.
Ooky (Ookie) :Urban language, synonym for dirty. First introduced in KAP by Tom Benedict. See also:http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ooky
Overfly:When a kite flies over the head of the kite flyer
Panorama:An image with a very wide angle of view and an aspect ratio of 2:1 or greater
PAP:Pole Aerial Photography
Parafoil:A class of kite characterized by frameless construction
PeKaBe:Tiny ball-bearing blocks or pullies sometimes used on Picavets.
Pendulum:A means of suspension for the camera rig from the kite line
Picavet:A pendular elliptical suspension system for kite aerial photography, named after its French inventor, Pierre Picavet.
Pole:A pole used in Pole Aerial Photography.
Pulley:The lines on which picavets hang thread through pulleys to keep the picavet level
RC:Radio control, R/C, also remote control
RAW:A generic term for a digital image format that has not been processed
Receiver:The radio control unit attached to the camera rig that receives the signals from the operator and converts the signals into commands to the servos.
Reel:The device on which kite line is wound or stored.
Rig:Frame or cradle that holds the camera and other remote controlled components
Rokakku:A six-sided, framed Japanese-style fighting kite
Safety:Review these guidelines for safe practices!
SchiSwi:Schieppati Switch, controls a camera on a model aircraft using a channel of the remote control equipment
Servo:Triggers the shutter and rotate or tilt cameras on KAP rigs
Soft kite:A kite without spars or supports. F.e, KAP-Foil
Soft Rig:A soft material used for a picavet. [[kaperchief]]’s are an example of a Soft Rig.
Spar:framework of of framed kites
Spine:When viewing a framed kite vertically, the spine is the vertical center stick.
Stereo Photography:Photography using two camera’s triggered simultaneously, providing depth perception from the resulting images
Stitching, Image:New page to be created from original site data, link to be inserted here.
SuMiPi:Super Mini Picavet suspension. By Wolfgang Bieck, Germany
Sunny 16: Guidelines for setting the correct exposure settings
Tail:A length of material hanging from the trailing edge of the kite.
Tilt:Angular orientation of a (KAP) camera with respect to the vertical
TimeStamp:Program that informs you of the intervals between each photo and Exif information
Trailing edge:The aft, tail or stem of a kite (or ship)
TUCIT:The Ultimate Camera Interval Timer (explanation or link needed)
VR:Virtual Reality
Winch:A mechanical device for winding up a rope or wire rope
Windless KAP:Technique for flying kites on windless days
World Wide KAP Week:Annual event to encourage Kapers around the world to engage in KAP

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