When I was a new hire 727 Engineer, we typically taxied on the center engine only. JUST before takeoff, and I mean at Number 2, the Captain would say, "Spin the others..."

As an engineer, you had a lot of stuff to get done, you had to parallel the 3 generators manually and get them on line, check the hydraulic systems (all 3) make sure the fuel valves were right, Packs On, Gasper On, APU off, run a checklist and the F/O still had to set the flaps for T/O....all in about a minute or two.

There were more than a few takeoffs where I was still trying to get the generators on line as we were rolling down the runway.

Then there was a spate of middle engine failures (#2). Some said it was because we used that engine more than 1 and 3, as we always taxied on number 2, and waited to start 1+3.

Then, in 1987, a Delta 727 tried to take off from DFW with the flaps up... guess why?

Yeah.

Another rushed a last minute, two engine start, and never got all the stuff done.

That's about when CRM training started, due to that and a few other accidents at the time. We had to learn to say WAIT A MINUTE! to the Captains who would rush us at the last minute.

You guys all know we get paid 'by the minute' right?

I'm in no hurry to be the first guy to the accident scene. If you need/want to slow it down, just say something to the Captain, and tell him, "Hey, we're on the clock, we're getting paid, an extra 3 minutes will buy us the first round!"