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KEEL EFFECT: The vertical stabilizer and sides of the fuselage on an aircraft give a lateral stability much like that of a keel on a ship. This is known as the Keel Effect.

KIAS: Indicated airspeed (IAS) measured in knots.

KICK THE TIRES: Jargon for pre-flight inspection. In turbine aircraft a cursory or hasty preflight may be referred to as "kick the tires, light the fires".

KNOWN ICING: Known icing are conditions that exist when visible moisture or high relative humidity combines with temperatures near or below freezing. Clouds form visible moisture, so flying through clouds at an altitude that is near or below freezing would be considered by the FAA as a flight into known icing conditions.