John_tullamarine: Maybe some airlines allow pilots on a very light weight ferry flight to choose higher speeds for takeoff, but our company says that for a given weight and either flaps 15 or 5, we flip the speedbook pages to whatever is closest to our actual takeoff weight. As noted elsewhere on this topic, a takeoff with a very gusty crosswind can certainly yank the plane away from the centerline-even with two good engines, especially on a shorter series for a given type (DC-9 dash 10)!
Is this situation, if your suggestion is a safer method for keeping V1 speeds on an empty airplane at a safe margin above Vmcg, then is our normal procedure dictated by the original Douglas Flight Manual or strictly by some company or FAA legal requirement, in order to be consistent and standardized throughout the various types here?
Several years ago I asked one of our company Check Airmen whether he knew of any information about actual Vmcgs for a given weight, and he said that he had not seen such info. Maybe it is hidden in a file by the various Fleet Program Managers or such Chief Pilots?