Kiting Magazine Vol 15 No 4
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�--�. .. , --- VOL. 15, NO.4 JULY 1993 .......n� ... I II I � , The Aerial Eye -A Beginner's Guide To Kite Aerial Photography he year of the aerial photograph is at hand: workshops by Brooks Leffler pictures have been taken with the aid of home·built T in aerial photography (AP) at Junction and Long Beach; mechanical timers; only recently has he started using radio kite-borne views of the world in Kite Lines and American control and a point·and·shoot camera. Kite; planning underway for a celebration twelve months hence of the centenary of the first U.S. aerophotos by Eddy • Mike LeDuc of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been fascinated and Woglom. with aerial photography and kites since science fairs in grade school, and five years ago combined these interests Now is a better time than ever to get into this branch of the with his skills as an engineer to take computer-controlled hobby. Cameras are lighter and fully automated; radio photo mosaics. control equipment is compact, light, and flexible; all of it is widely available and relatively inexpensive. Modest·sized • Ten years ago, Henry Jebe of Douglas, Alaska, decided kites of several designs - ancient and modern - can put your that a kite-borne camera would enable him to get better camera just about anywhere you want it, and do so in a acquainted with the topography of his deer-hunting wide wind range. grounds; since then, he's tried aerophotos from his canoe, "... really a bit scary, a bit like juggling" he says. AKA members at all points of the compass are trying their hand at AP; indeed, some have been practicing the craft for • Craig Wilson of Madison, Wisconsin, has been honing his years. These are a few of them: AP skills since 1986, to the point that he has sold nearly six doten pictures for publication and earned the 1992 Prix Tables on • Ex·President and AKA Archivist Bob Price has logged d'Encouragement of the Kite Aerial Photography World· the Terrace countless hours with a Kodak Retina dangling beneath his wide Association (KAPWA). His aerial close·ups will be by Craig Wilson. elegant rhomboid box kite. /See page //.] Most of Bob's featured in full color in an upcoming issue of Kite Lines. • I got into AP because I wanted a unique view of Greens' Rainbow,Stratoscoop for an advertisement, and a means to record the progress of a complicated remodeling of fa· my l!0use. You may have a specialized reason of your own for trying AP, or you may just agree with Anne Rock of Berkeley, California: "I like the different • perspective on everyday places and objects that you get from an aerial photo... and I enjoy the challenge." With the founding of KAPWA, communication between the far-flung enthusiasts of kite aerial photography has improved ' greatly through the quarterly bilingual (French/English) publication of K4PWA News and Technique. Continued on page 5. 2 Kiting The new sport kite compe· In the meanwhile, I'm pleased to announce that Vern tition rule book should be Balodis of Columbus, Ohio, has agreed to lead the commit· The Presidenf's.Poge ready by the time you read tee and join the Board for the remainder of Corky's term. David Gomberg this. For many of our memo " bers, and for flying friends Conference Notes: While we're on the subject of compe· around the world, this titions and rules, I've received several questions about the bookiet is one of the most redrawing of AKA Regions and how this will affect confer· important resources that ence boundaries next year. AKA produces. The simple answer is that the assignment of AKA Regions The Sport Kite Committee to specific competition Conferences will be adjusted after has worked hard on this August 1, so that conference boundaries will remain much "Third Edition" and de· as they presently are. The Conference Commissioners are serves our thanks. While also considering changing from the present three confer· the rules contain little ences to six smaller ones in order to further reduce dis· which will affect how a tance for competitors. If you have opinions, call Al Hargus, contestant actually per· Steve Cseplo, or Genny Forsberg. forms on the field*, the Overseas Travel: Following a recent Kiting article on book has nearly doubled in the experiences of an American delegation in India, I re· size with the addition of ceived a letter from a member asking why AKA had not improved safety guidelines, recommended any women for the trip. The answer is that expanded penalty defini· we did. tions, job descriptions, and detailed explanations of The official invitation from the India Tourism Department compulsory maneuvers. contained five names - two of which were women. Both decided not to participate because of other commitments One important new and the short lead time. Their positions were filled from an requirement is that event official list of alternates that India provided. After calling organizers must announce those fliers, AKA was left with one truly discretionary slot. required maneuvers, field I decided that a fair and impartial way to allocate it was to sizes and any rule offer the trip to the winner of the Grand Prize or People's variations at least 30 days Choice at last year's convention. fu in advance. Fliers will c:i know what to expect I'm often asked how someone gets invited to international before they decide to attend an event. Organizers are also festivals. Why not do a lottery so everyone has a fair provided more flexibility in running these events - as long chance? After all, who wouldn't like a free trip overseas? as they announce everything in advance. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Another expanded section involves designated point penal· Most festivals tend to treat sponsored guests as an invest· ties for specific performance errors. This is an important ment in the success of their event. They are quite literally improvement. For years, we have heard complaints that hiring talent, and are somewhat conservative in spending event judging is "uneven." One judge will subtract a full what amounts to several thousand dollars a guest. I wish point for a wingtip drag, another only half a point. With that AKA was regularly asked for recommendations, but the listing of particular penalties in the book, judging will we are not. become more conSistent, something everybody wants. My experience is that most organizers select fliers they The next task of the Sport Kite Committee is to produce a sum· know, that they have read about, or who have distin· mary card of penalties that officials can carry onto the field. guished themselves with a winning track record at other events. When Susie and I first started traveling, we decided The Board has designated August 1, (end of the AKA Com· to spend the money to go overseas, participate as much as * The only new rule which petition Conferences scoring season), as the implementa· we could, and meet those organizers. Now that we know will affect a flier's on-field tion date for the new book. This means that the Grand them, we occasionally get invited back. But knowing what performance are changes National Competitions will use the updated guidelines and I know today, if I were first starting out, I would put to· in the maximum time limits penalties. * Other events are free to use the improved safety gether a printed portfolio or resume of my accomplish· for some free-style events. guidelines immediately, but can continue any of the ments. Pick the events you are most interested in and Rather than require "older" rules through the rest of the year by simply an· write to them. Addresses are usually printed in interna· contestants to develop nouncing their decision in advance. tional magazines like Kite Lines or Drachen. new, shorter routines for With the completion of the expanded rules book, and the the convention, AKA will Sending a portfolio or attending events will, of course, not formation of the AKA Conferences, Committee Chair use the "old" time limits guarantee future invitations, but it will increase your interna· Corky Chewning has asked to be relieved so he can focus for the Grand Nationals. tional profile. The AKA International Committee may have on his new job responsibilities and become reacquainted Late season events are other suggestions. Try them. And don't be surprised if one day with his family. Corky has done a great job in one of AKA's encouraged to use the your phone ring;; - veri early in the morning. most challenging positions. All of us appreciate his efforts. same exception. Good winds, july 7993 3 CONVENTION OR BUST ON THE FRINGE Every year for a few now, Richard & Marti Dermer have I am a power kiting junkie Variable Winds Aloft been putting on an informal kite fly in Stillwater, Okla and a proud member of the homa_ I've always had a major conflict with getting to zany fringe element. After Letters to the AKA Stillwater for these flys, until now_ On April 17th, my fam reading Anthony Crisafulli's ily and I managed to get to Stillwater, which started with letter in the last issue of Kit- jJ]g, almost no wind at all and lots of rain_ As the day pro I had to comment. I agree with the AKA Task Force gressed, the rain stopped and the winds did finally begin that man·lifting is the most dangerous type of powerflying. We look forward to your comments and letters to blowing about 45 minutes before we left for a major pizza Man-lifting could easily kill the pilot, but acceptance of risk feed at the Dermer's_ is the prerogative of the flyer.