On Wednesday, January 6, 2016 at 5:14:56 PM UTC-5, SF wrote:
How about a solid rocket JATO type unit for a sustainer.

I initially toyed with the idea of a single-use 3000 foot climb save-my-ass FES cost effectively powered by a boatload of alkaline D-cells. But I soon realized how much a FES would extend my range in routine use. That mountain ridge to the west that we rarely fly over because the cloudbase is rarely more than 500 feet higher? It takes hours to do an auto retrieve from the far side.

Why not go west, explore, use FES to get home if the cloudbase drops in the meantime. I want one.