Why do pilots say: V1 ROTATE before takeoff?

Question

I was watching a youtube of a plane taking off and the pilot said V1 ROTATE just before takeoff.... what does this mean?

Answer 1

Good posts... just to add something, if the captain is flying the plane, the first officer (co pilot) will tell him when he's at V1. If the FO is flying then the captain will tell him when he is at V1 (for take off). Meaning that when one if them is flying, the other is monitoring the radio and panel (everything except actually flying the plane). The captain and FO typically trade off each flight. Example, the captain will fly from LGA to BNA and the FO will fly it back.

V1 is the first speed you'll reach. If you have a major failure, say an engine, before V1 the TP will be aborted, after V1 you must take off. That's why we call them decision speeds; you can go around and land, but you're going too fast at that point to stop on an average runway. V1 & V2 is the rotation speed (or lift off speed). V2 is your climb out speed, and I don't think anyone uses V3 anymore.

Answer 2

V1 is the point at which jets can take off safely even if they have one of the engines fail.

Rotate simply means pull the stick back to raise the planes nose and lift off.

Answer 3

When the co-pilot says "V1, rotate!", it lets the captain know that the aircraft has reached its take-off speed and that he should begin to pull back on the yoke and take off~

Answer 4

Peter g is right. If an engine eats a bird the aircraft needs to have the momentum or airspeed and can maintain that speed to take off safely "V1, Rotate".

Answer 5

At V1, the airplane can no longer stop on the remaining runway, and must continue the take-off, even if one engine suddenly failed (as already mentioned). Sometimes, V1 and Vr (rotate speed) are one in the same, so the call would be "V1 rotate". However, sometimes the pilot will call "V1" and then 3-7 seconds later call "140, rotate".

Answer 6

V1 is the takeoff decision speed.  (In many instances on long runways there can be plenty of runway left for aborting and rolling out even after reaching this speed).  

Vr is the rotate speed.  It is not always the same as V1.  At this speed rotation is begun--the pilot pitches the plane upward.  Still on the ground, the plane rotates about the main wheels, not the CG.  

"Rotate" or "Vr" is called out before reaching Vr, so the pilot can begin rotating at Vr.  Before hearing the call or reaching Vr, the pilot pulls back on the yoke so that rotation will begin at Vr.  (Pulling back and rotating are not the same thing).

Answer 7

i want to ask this question cause i have been accompanying aircrafts B737,A300, A330 & A340 and well, have the idea but I wanted to be sure. So thanks for the 'nice to know' for all the answerers.

Answer 8

At V-1, you are committed to takeoff, by definition, and usually by practical circumstances, as well (runway remaining, stopping ability, etc.). It is not, strictly speaking, 'the minimum speed at which you can take off". In fact, in some airplanes, if you so lose an engine right at V-1, it can what seems like a long time to reach Vr. It happens more quickly in other planes. (If you lose an engine below V-1, you abort. By definition, there is still enough runway remaining in which to stop.)

Answer 9

at v1 it is safer to takeoff than to stop