it sounds like you're making good progress. You learned some things the hard way, but I'm sure you'll never forget the lesson.
As for flight, yes, they are little footballs, but I had one fly about 30' across a yard and over my house back at my old place, and another fly about 50' and over a...
I bought a butterfly net years ago. It's not super strong, but it doesn't have to be for quail. I think I spent about $6 on mine, but that was years ago.
If it's netting, there should be enough bounce so your birds won't break their necks. If the height is 6', there wouldn't be any danger regardless. They usually aren't going fast enough to do any damage by the time they get 6' up.
If it's light enough and strong enough, you may consider...