There is obviously much confusion about this topic.
1. Pilots are NOT able to make assessments regarding obstacle clearance on the day - unless you are flying out over the water, the pilot does not have all the required data to hand (PS I am a Pilot)
2. If there is a runway specific RTOW chart, it should have been produced from obstacle data that looks out as far as is required to reach the LSA/MSA.
3. If there is a Runway specific RTOW chart, the weight that it produces is ONLY valid if you follow the flight path that was used to assess the obstacles, AND accelerate at the Acceleration Height nominated on the RTOW chart.
4. If someone has gone to the trouble of producing a RTOW chart, they will first look at a straight ahead flight path (cause it is easier) and if that doesn't produce an economically reasonable uplift, they will look for a turning procedure.
5. It is normal practice to NOT annotate the RTOW chart with a procedure UNLESS it is has turn - so if there is no specific instruction on tracking, assume straight ahead.
6. If you don't follow the flight path described (either straight ahead or curved as appropriate) you may as well not have bothered looking at the RTOW chart - cause the numbers are MEANINGLESS!
7. If you choose to ignore the acceleration height on the RTOW chart, and decide to extend the 2nd segment, you may as well not have bothered looking at the chart either - cause you have gone outside the conditions used to produce the weights on the chart. - and don't think that because there is terrain higher than the acceleration height in the extended flight path, that it hasn't been considered, you will probably find that the RTOW programme wants to accelerate the aircraft early, clean up, and then clear the obstacle in a clean configuration - mostly for 5 min eng limit considerations....
There endeth the lesson..
PS, We spend heaps and heaps of hours pouring over type A's, topo's etc, designing procedures, identifying obstacles etc, and whilst I can't speak for others, I go to great lengths to ensure that the RTOW charts and associated procedures I publish for the crews in ther airlines that I have worked, are safe, and easy to fly.
