After reading the thread "Your worst landing" I thought it might be interesting to hear of any really poor takeoffs. Generally not as memorable as the bad landings, but hopefully we will get some stories.

My worst. A short field (off field) gravel bar. Chose not to use all of it, due to big bumps which I discovered upon landing at one end. Applied full throttle, grapped 20 degrees of flaps at the point I thought it would be getting ready to fly. It didn't. I waited and grabbed more flaps as a 15 foot burm of gravel and alders was approaching. Abruptly closed the throttle at a point at which I thought I could stop or do a semi-groundlooped stop in front of the alders, just as it started to fly. Abruptly opened the throttle. Worst of all, I had a less than impressed female companion with me.

Akfreight