Reg wrote:
The type of antenna or its radiation pattern has nothing whatever to
do with the path taken by the radio wave through the ionosphere. The
take-off angle and its name, generated by EZNEC, can be very
misleading.


It has to do. It allows us to direct the RF under desired angle to hit the
layer or region that supports the propagation to the chosen target.
I have seen situations when signals to Europe were coming under low angle
and in the same direction, signals to deep Asia were coming under higher
angle at the same time.

There are different propagation modes and paths and be able to control
radiation pattern of antenna is important (for serious hams, like
contesters). I am not talking about skewed path, long path and other modes
of propagation when horizontal and vertical control of the antenna radiation
pattern is of huge benefit.

So making blank statements like above is not proper.

73 Yuri K3BU