There is nothing that can get me to go back and read the whole thread but I would love to throw my hat into the ring:

Why is a Harrier jet able to take off from what is basically a stable position while hovering? The plane achieves flight through propultion rather than wind speed and there is no need for a runway or wheels for that matter.

I have to throw my lot in with the "it flys" crowd since a plane achieves flight through propultion at a certain level regardless of the land speed.

But I still wonder: why does it take X hundreds of feet for a plane to take off when all a pilot could do is set the throttle wide open and slingshopt the plane.

So who the hell knows....
_________________________
If we do not succeed, then we run the risk of failure. - Vice President James Danforth "Dan" Quayle