Just checking, all the references to inches confused me.
1: ASFs and any other non-spheroid Aeros behave exactly like wheeled vehicles when they taxi. They don't spend thrust to do so, they get wheeled MP equal to half their safe thrust.
Taking off (horizontal or vertical) only takes place during a single movement phase, so once you announce that you're taking off, your opponent has no opportunity to shoot the runway and crater it before you are airborne. Similarly, if they do crater it during a weapons phase while you're still on the ground, you haven't announced your takeoff yet, and there's no takeoff to abort or switch to vertical.
Long story short, taking off is not an extended event that your opponent can interrupt. You say you're taking off, there might be a single piloting skill roll, and then your takeoff is done.
2: I don't think so.
3: Max Thrust or Safe Thrust are not things you use during takeoff. You say you're taking off, you meet the minimum thrust requirements, make a roll (only if doing a vertical takeoff), and you're airborne. It doesn't matter how much thrust you have, the takeoff takes up your entire movement.
4: There is no velocity requirement. There is a thrust requirement. If you can expend 2 or more thrust in a single turn, you've met it. That simple.
5: Only if that's the ruleset you're currently playing with. If you're using standard movement, your aero is simply placed in the aero hex that corresponds to the ground map you took off from, and given a Velocity of 1.
6: None of this applies. There is no takeoff roll, and no velocity requirement. As I said earlier, you just say you're taking off, check to see if you have 2 thrust available, and then you're airborne. That simple.