Tricky Takeoffs
The opposing articles in Orange County Voices on March 23 about El Toro’s conversion deserve some comment.
Briefly, Todd Thornton’s arguments are based on how airplanes perform. It is an aerodynamic certainty that an upsloping takeoff runway and tail wind impose serious penalties on airplane takeoff performance (read capability to carry payload and/or fuel).
Norman Ewers’ case is made on the basis of an emotional appeal. It may be that he has never had to take off in a heavily loaded airplane, where his ground roll was almost two miles before reaching takeoff speed. His having taken off on Runway 07 in a Marine C-130 transport plane in no way equates with the increase in the anxiety provided by a tail wind takeoff on an upsloping runway in an airplane loaded to maximum allowable gross weight.
Take off on Runway 25 and depart over Corona del Mar? That procedure is not likely to be encouraged by those wonderful folks who are trying to give us El Toro International Airport.
Man learned a lot about flying from watching birds. Even birds are smart enough to take off down hill and into the wind.
EDWARD J. BRISICK
Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.)
Irvine
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