Coming back from watching the Targa Florio, my wife and I presented ourselves at Palermo airport on18/10/88 to catch a BIA flight back to Gatwick on 1-11 G-AXMU. It was a hot evening and the flight was delayed by 3 hours. When we got away the takeoff run went on ...and on but rotation was eventually achieved. During the course of the flight the co-pilot came back down the aisle and I mentioned the lengthy take-off run. With a big grin he said " You noticed it did you, you should have been up front because we certainly did!!!". I always wondered if the delay was to let things cool down so we could get away.