Originally Posted by
Mooncrest
I didn't witness the infamous Spantax episode that Flightrider is referring to. I did see an extremely late rotation off RW32 at LBA by an Aviogenex 732. I didn't think it was going to get airborne; thankfully, it did but it seemed like it only cleared the 32 localiser by a matter of feet!
I have a similar recollection, pre extension, involving an Aviaco DC9 at LBA. It had diverted in from BHX on one of those days when LBA was above the fog blanketing much of UK. Pax were bussed up from Elmdon in fairly short order and with I think only 56 on board EC-CTS was cleared direct to Tenerife (or maybe Las Palmas).
I'd swear he was past the 10/28 intersection and must have had that red/white fence bordering Victoria Avenue filling his windscreen when he finally rotated and went up like a homesick angel.....