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Loooong T/O Run: Heavy LH MD-11F going airborne from high-elevation Nairobi!
Air Clips joined Lufthansa Cargo's Captain Fokko and First Officer Johannes on a full rotation from Frankfurt (Germany) via Nairobi (Kenya) to Johannesburg (South Africa) and back on the same routing. (www.youtube.com) More...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I was a passenger on a Flying Tiger DC-8-63 from Travis AFB, CA to Clark AB, PI with a fuel stop at Wake Island in 1970. There were four of us USAF pilots and 250 Army soldiers on board. Wake has a 9800 ft runway, is 23 ft. above sea level and it was in excess of 100 F. I noticed that we taxied into the overrun, turned to runway heading and all four engines went to full power for about 30 seconds with brakes locked The air craft was shakinng from the thrust. This was my first clue: no rolling takeoff here! I watched the distance to go markers along the runway. Rotation started about 2500 feet remaining. We lifted off just as the main gear passed the 1000 f eet to go marker. I counted less than 3 seconds from lifteoo until we were "feet wet" (over the Pacific). Scariest takeoff I ever experienced, and I had
I have timed take offs at JNB South Africa (Elevation 5500 ft) in excess of 60 seconds. I think at that time there were no non stops to major European destinations . BA stopped in NBO as I think LH and KL did. NBO is also fairly high elevation.
Certainly a lot less time than we used to experience departing DEN in a B727-200.
Oh yes. Back in the day we had an F-105 emerg land at the old Lowry airfield in the high-summer. Temp wouldn't allow us to fly it out 'til winter.
Nonsense!
And which series of F-105 did you fly cowboy!!
My son flew Thuds from to/from Colo Springs and back a lot during the war. Then transitioned to Phantoms.
I'm talking about Lowery w/short RWs and very dense population even back then; not Colorado Springs.