Aerial coverage — which camera attitude gives the greatest ground area in a single photograph? To maximize ground area covered by one exposure (single frame), which photographic type is used?

Introduction / Context:
Camera tilt strongly influences the footprint of an aerial photograph. For reconnaissance and regional studies, maximizing the areal coverage per frame reduces flight time and cost, though it has trade-offs for metric accuracy.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Constant flying height above mean terrain.
• Same focal length and image format for all photo types.
• Definitions: vertical (tilt ≈ 0°), low oblique (horizon excluded), high oblique (horizon included).

Concept / Approach:

A high oblique photograph includes the horizon and covers a very large ground swath extending far ahead of the aircraft. Because the camera is tilted significantly, the ground footprint stretches dramatically in the forward direction, exceeding that of low oblique and vertical images taken at the same height and focal length.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Flight manuals show footprint diagrams: area grows with tilt and peaks when the horizon is just included (high oblique).

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• (b) Covers more than vertical but less than high oblique.
• (c) Gives the tightest, most metric footprint but not the largest area.
• (d) and (e) do not represent the maximum ground area for a single conventional frame.

Common Pitfalls:

• Confusing “coverage per frame” with “mapping accuracy,” which is generally best for vertical photographs.

Final Answer:

High oblique photograph.