There are many old sayings sprinkled throughout aviation. One of them, “There’s no such thing as an emergency takeoff,” highlights the fact that deciding to initiate a flight is optional. As pilots, we get to decide many elements of our takeoffs, including whether to perform one in the first place. This is important since there are many unknowns in the first few minutes after a takeoff.
One of the more important considerations we face when deciding to take off is the weather we’ll encounter. On a calm, sunny day, takeoff weather probably isn’t much of a concern, provided density altitude is reasonable for the runway and the airplane. At the other extreme, when the visibility is so poor we have trouble finding the runway, it becomes a different proposition. And in gusty conditions, like those associated with thunderstorms or passing fronts, takeoffs can be downright sporty.
