Sounds like you made a good choice.
If you need to hand launch an Alpha, sounds like you don't really have a place to put it down either, and removing the landing gear is not really an option. (It's where I used to hook my fingers)
No take off or landing area=different type/kind of plane.
If you were just going to do it for kicks, discresion is the better part of valor... or something like that.
Don't do it, you won't be happy.

Jetts