[pilot7378535]

Yes, for gliders: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glider_(sailplane)#Launch_and_...

Also related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_carriage

[yosito]

Last summer, I rode in a Rubik R-26 Góbé glider, invented by the father of the man who invented the Rubik's cube. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubik_R-26_Góbé

Pretty fun experience. And if commercial airplanes ever start using this sort of launching technology, I imagine the takeoff would feel a lot smoother.