Over a period of many years, various inventors have built built technology capable of accessing powerful winds that blow at high elevation. The range of designs included gliders kept aloft by wind while carrying turbines and electrical generators, as well as kites and wind-inflated balloons that repeatedly swooped sideways while driving ground-based generators.
A new twist on the concept involves flying various small-scale flight technology at mountain slopes, where powerful updrafts blow. The updrafts assist in maintaining flight while increasing power output from ground based generators.