rotate

Rotation is the visual moment of a takeoff: the nose comes up a few degrees a second, the main gear unloads and the aircraft leaves the ground. It is the shot most departure-end spotting positions are chosen for, and its position along the runway varies enormously with weight, so a heavy long-haul departure rotates much further down than a short domestic one.

Nearby in Aviation

• registration — The unique alphanumeric identity painted on an airframe, allocated by its country of registry.
• retro livery — A historic paint scheme reapplied to a current aircraft, usually for an anniversary.
• runway — The prepared strip an aircraft takes off from and lands on, numbered by its magnetic heading rounded to the nearest ten degrees.
• short final — The last part of final approach, close in to the runway threshold.