Letters to the Editor
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No Airspeed = No Takeoff
Aerodynamic lift is how standard airplanes take off.
"To generate lift, an object must move through the air, or air must move past the object. [Some modern aircraft like the Harrier use engine thrust to "lift" the vehicle. But this, again, is not aerodynamic lift.]"
http://wright.nasa.gov/airplane/move.html
In the case of the reverse treadmill the airplane remains stationary in relation to the air so it stays on the ground. Wheel speed is not relevant.
OTOH a forward moving treadmill could do much in making takeoffs more interesting and restoring the gee-wiz factor to aviation. Sort of like the catapult on a aircraft carrier but much more massive.
If such a project could somehow be related to homeland security I am sure the contracts would already be in Halliburton's hands...