According to both scientific papers and sector studies, airborne wind energy systems (AWESs) have the potential to provide large-scale, sustainable, and economically viable electricity production. In this work, we consider a pumping AWES with a rigid wing and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability with onboard propellers. In fully autonomous operation, the system must be able to handle the complete wind range from cut-in to cut-out. In case of too low wind speeds for a relatively short time or if the power output needs to be curtailed following possible grid operator’s commands, the system shall be able to switch to a “standby mode,” where the kite remains airborne until the wind increases again or the power output is increased again. In the literature, there are a few studies on such an operational mode, which is referred to as “reverse pumping,” and none on the design of a feedback control system that is able to obtain reliably a large-scale reverse pumping maneuver. The main contribution of this paper is a hierarchical, automatic control approach to achieve reverse pumping operation for AWES with a tether length of the order of hundreds of meters while at the same time being relatively easy to implement and tune. In general, such a hierarchical layout is well received and employed in the AWES field, making the approach attractive for real- world implementation. After presenting the approach, we test it on a detailed AWES model, representing Kitemill’s KM1 prototype. The simulation results show the feasibility of the reverse pumping strategy in different wind conditions and realistic settings, with a tether length spanning 300-600 m.