flyingmr2 wrote:
I wonder if one of the new generation winches like the Hydrowinch with
a 4000ft launch would make a difference.

The limiting factor is not the winch, but the rope length which in turn
is related to the available runway length. A rough estimate is that the
height with no wind is about half the rope length.

Here's what you can do with a perfectly conventional tost winch and 3000
meters of spectra rope: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VlRd9-wxQI (note
that the altimeter is in meters and the vario im m/s)