Hola Comfy -
xxx
Agree with you about keeping Flaps 1 and 250 for a departure...
Honest, I cannot recall any instance of ever been required to do so.
Yet I have been just about everywhere with 747s on the planet.
No US controller, nor London ever gave us problems for approving 280.
Not even Frankfurt controllers who sit on regulation manuals...
xxx
Befehl ist befehl, they say - 280 bitte...? Jawohl, naturlich.
Even Lufty flies heavy 747s at 280 on departure.
I asked a buddy of mine, F/E 747 for many years on Lufthansa Cargo...
Ja ja ja...! Mein Kapitein always used 280 - is what he told me...!
They even do 280 on their autobahns with their BMW cars.
xxx
Happy contrails