One can fly from Paris to Calama in Peru. There is plenty of infrastructure associated with the construction of telescopes in the Atacama Desert. There is not much water, no hurricanes and the altitude is five kilometres. There is an air strip at San Pedro de Atacama. It is relatively close to the equator.
Why take off from sea level?
Seems like a waste of precious rocket fuel to me. All those extra kilograms.
But then again, I am no rocket scientist.
Traou an Dour 