ORIGINAL: Chad Veich
Watch a few YouTube videos of model events overseas and you will quickly find this to be a very common practice outside the USA. As noted by Rodney it does not have to be an unsafe practice if the rules are designed to account for it. WhileI don't do it, and am not particularly in favor of it, I can see where it may actually be safer in some instances, such as test flights, where it is easier for the pilot to keep the airplane going down the runway instead of into the pit area.
Chad has it correct...
It is something done quite often overseas, and has nothing to do with ones ability to fly said plane. Look at this vid starting at around 3:30.
You guys out there armchairing, saying that they can't fly if that's the way they're taken off are killing me lol.
http://youtu.be/-bM7E5P4bDw
I have done so in the past, probably will do so again in the future. I don't have too, but sometimes it is convenient. I would never do so with other planes flying in a pattern
Casey