Off went the 720 emitting filthy black smoke and used just about all of the 3000 metres of runway. East African VC-10 taxiied out and blasted off from the intersection, using way less than half the available
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Perhaps the 720B was loaded and the VC-10 empty ?
Also, Addis is a pretty high airport so why did Ethiopia buy 720Bs and not VC-10s ? Perhaps costs (purchase and running) had something to do with it ?
I agree the VC-10 was a beautiful and well engineered aeroplane, but no matter how you cut it, it was a commercial disaster.