In C-17's we could deploy the thrust reversers in flight to get a decent rate of almost 20,000 ft per minute, but it made a lot of noise and was a pretty shaky (not to mention slightly terrifying)ride down. This kite drops silently out of the sky onto its unsuspecting prey below with lethal speed and stealth that mother nature has perfected.
Tactical Decent by
lennycarl08, on Flickr