Remember Estes model rockets? This guy, Derek Deville, takes model rockets to a whole new level: Qu8k: http://ddeville.com/derek/Qu8k.html More here: http://ddeville.com/rockets.htm
I have seen a couple videos with weather balloons and go pro cameras that they send up to space till they pop. Even those come back down fairly close to the take off point. I'm sure they chose low wind days for these types of things.