[smoyer]

I wonder about the rotational speed changes of the payload mass more than the wind. The counterweight will tend to speed up and slow down as the mass of the payload is accelerated and decelerated (during climbs and descents respectively), but I keep hearing that the counterweight is just a mass.

[darkmighty]

If you think the counterweight will move down when you thrust a mass up, you have a misconception. The tether will be consistently under tension, so unless the acceleration mA is sufficient to surpass MV^2/R, that won't happen.