I did some web searches, and discovered the record for the highest a kite
has flown: over 30,000 feet. (According to the link, that was actually a
series of 8 connected kites). Here is the what the article said:

What's the highest a kite has ever flown? . . . The world record for kite
height was set in 1919 by the German Weather Bureau, when a series of
eight kites was lofted to an altitude of 31,955 feet (9740 meters). During
the retrieval of the kites, the line broke when the tension reached 145
kilograms (319 pounds).

The single-kite record is 12,471 feet (3801 meters) by the US
Meteorological Service in 1896.

In both cases, the kites were flown as part of weather observation
programs. Kites were used for many years in meteorology, but today
balloons, airplanes, and satellites have replaced them, and the kite
altitude records still stand.

Go fly a kite!
http://www.sct.gu.edu.au/~anthony/kites/
http://www.aka.kite.org/
BRThe history of kites in meteorology:
http://www.total.net/~kite/meteor.html

(E-zine: THE LEARNING KINGDOM http://www.tlk-lists.com/join/