Originally Posted by
SASless
...Instead of this backwards and up to 400 feet (or so) as we saw used.....what if an old fashioned Towering Take Off had been used from as far downwind as possible..
Yep, I reckon. Countless times trying to get out of a tight spot in the boonies, back it up as far as you can go, get some airspeed whilst still in ground effect and then zoom climb it out at best angle. Many of those you'd never get out vertically, you just run out of puff before finding clear air above the trees.