RE: Throwing up will make you sick!
Most of my planes have been a breeze to hand launch. I also agree that a gentle belly landing has generally been easy and effective.
My Mini Delta has been the only plane that has been tricky. The first several launches it simply glided away beautifully and with no problem. Then all of a sudden it started standing straight up right in front of my face and stalling when I tossed it. I found that if I made a conscious effort to throw it level I didn't have any problems. On the other side of the coin, my buddy throws his Stryker almost straight up. I questioned why he throws it so straight up and he said he didn't have any luck throwing it level. I never saw him try throwing it level, so I don't know what happened. But whatever, it seems to work for him.
I will say that I enjoy ground takeoffs. You do feel much more in control because your hands never leave the sticks. It's also just fun for some reason. It definitely seems more scale. Plus there is just something about taking off, flying and then landing that feels satisfying.