RE: Is it possible to take off in high winds without ground speed?
I had a H9 Twist years ago that I really only pulled out on windy days. I loved flying nearly vertical approaches with as little foward movement as I could get. About 1 in 10 though ended with the wind dropping off jsut as I was about to touch down and me not quick enough on the throttle to keep it in the air. I had the landing gear attached with nylon bolts, and kept a good supply of spare props with me. But there was nothing more satisfying to me than pulling off a perfect "perch and go" in the wind....
Now, I keep a STryker in the van for the same reason...