Assisted take-off refers to any system that provides extra thrust to get an aircraft airborne in a shorter distance or at a higher gross weight than its main engines allow. This usually involves strap-on solid rocket boosters, commonly known as JATO or RATO, which burn for a few seconds during the ground roll and initial climb. Crews jettison the spent casings once the aircraft reaches a safe climbing speed.
Heard on the job
We'll need ATO for this gross weight if we want to clear the trees at the end of the dirt strip.
Insider tip
While JATO (jet-assisted) and RATO (rocket-assisted) name the specific hardware, ATO is the operational procedure.
Also heard as
- JATO
- RATO