Huge, Overloaded Transport Jet Uses Every Inch of Runway for Takeoff

@Sebastian- Thanks for the response. The comments here were interesting.

@hedwig

There are regulations about overloading, but it's the responsibility of the captain to do the math and determine what he can or can't do (provided he knows exactly what's on his plane).

@NorwegianBlue

I really doubt he did that on purpose.. take off has very specific rules (it's the most dangerous part of flight); the pilot rotates the aircraft as soon as it is safe to do it in any case. I think here he might have actually pulled up early to avoid going off the runway.

Anyway.. that was a real close call!

"The vodka burner is rolling" - pretty good

"We have Smirnoff" - excellent!

vdev, nope that's the long runway. The other one can't take anything bigger than a very light prop.

The runway has been made a little longer since then. Also it's unusual for us to get heavies here. The largest thing we see on a frequent basis is a B767, with the very infrequent visit of a B747 when a world leader visits us or if Sydney is fogged in.

I think this has been the first (and only visit) by an IL-76.

I couldn't make out the detail of the takeoff clearance, so I wonder if somehow they were on the short runway instead of the long one?

That would be surprising but it would not be the first time it has happened (I know of a similar instance in Melbourne, but with passengers on board)