londonclubguy

When travelling on an a320 last week departing LHR we taxied forever the whole way round the airport. Suddenly the taxi speed increased for the final 20-30 seconds before turning on to the runway and doing a rolling takeoff which in 100+ flights at LHR I’ve never experienced. Has anyone else ever experienced it there?

golfmad

I'm not familiar with procedures at LHR or procedures for large aircraft but I can tell you that the first time I was in charge of an aircraft for takeoff I taxied on to the runway and stopped only to be asked by my instruction why I had stopped? I'd been given takeoff clearance and that was that. It's always stuck in my mind. It's probably quite different in an A320 compared to a Scottish Aviation Bulldog though

roblikesplanes

I think I have, yes, but I don't recall it being 20 - 30 seconds before turning onto the runway. Where were you flying to?

crazy8534

Yes/ recently given an expert rundown on here by the frankly brilliant Sigwx:

Post

Greenpen

Pilot lives in destination country and keen to get home is the usual reason.

speedbuslhr

Perhaps the next aircraft to take off wasn’t fully ready on reaching the runway so you were told to head to the runway in their place. It’s also possible you were waiting for your final figures and when they came through the runway was clear for you to depart.

Obviously with a single departing runway most aircraft line up and wait until the aircraft that has just departed is at a safe distance. If the runway is clear there is no need for an aircraft to come to a stop before departing.

Robert279

Yes, quite a few years back on a 744 (BA11 to SIN), we rolled onto 09R seemingly in hot pursuit of a 744 to CPT (or was it JNB?) ahead of us. Although that headed off towards Twickers and we towards Wembley, at 600 ft we were side-swiped by its vortex, to some screams from the cabin and apologies from the flight deck.

AviationMoose

Oddly have had it a couple of times, and I don't fly a lot compared to many here.

Once to MAN quite recently, where we'd previously had to abandon a taxi to go back to sort out a baggage load problem. And once, many years ago, going to LAX. Was at the very back of ET in a 747, and I remember how it somehow made the height the front of the cabin gets to seem all the more exciting/otherworldly.

pmblinn

Will never forget a pilot briefing prior to takeoff: "We'll be flying at an altitude of blah-blah, headwind blah-blah, should be a smooth ride, blah-blah. Oh, and by the way, this is our home leg so we're gonna go fast."

We did. Arrived 30+ mins early on a 3-hr flight.

Waterhorse

Rolling take off is a normal procedure, it is not mandatory and is sometimes not appropriate. It’s not got anything to do with getting home quickly. For SH aircraft the usual determining factor is what aircraft went before you and what time delay this imposes for either route separation or wake vortex separation. The heavier the preceding traffic the longer you wait. Due to big fan spool up times and engine stabilisation, you either do a rolling takeoff or have to come to a halt and do a stationary spool up.

DaveS

Had one on Sunday on BA868 to BUD. Not something I thought about as I do not think it is unusual. The aircraft was light anyway as not everyone's luggage was on board...

diburning

Yes, this has occured to me once at Heathrow, back in 2016. I only noticed because it was a neat new aircraft type that I was flying on (Brussels Airlines Avro RJ)

It happens a lot more often at small airports where my flight was the only one going out.

Pilot37

Not quite a rolling take-off story, but during Covid when I posted about some of the unusual things those of us who flew encountered, the one that was unique (in my view) was a flight to INV which entered the active about 1/2 way down and back tracked for the rest of the runway before turning around on the runway itself and taking off. I have experienced that in many small airports, but somehow I don't think I'll ever experience that at LHR again!

Pilot37

skipness1E

A window of opportunity opens to get you away when the departure sequence changes, often due to someone not being ready or a last minute tech issue with another aircraft. The departure queue sequencing has three broad options, straight ahead, left or right turns. They try and avoid two consecutive departures going the same way as it decreases the departure flow rate as they have to wait, whereas if a left turn out departs after a right turn or a straight ahead, the second the wheels are off the ground the next aircraft is cleared to go. With so many aircraft packed in the queue, sometimes the number 4 or 5 to go is the most efficient next departure if something changes. Hence the expedited line up and grateful pilots.

Or not in this case, but that's what often happens.

crazy8534

Definitely a crazy thing to imagine at LHR! The other one I heard about was planes departing from 9L (I think the Cranford agreement normally prevents that as a regular occurrence).