Hang Gliding - FAQ - What's needed?
Well, okay, if nobody else will say this, I will... It *really* helps when thermalling, if you can turn ten circles, and not toss your lunch. A better number might be thirty or fifty circles, in actual flight.
In flight, when there is no other traffic to worry about, you can cheat the impending dizziness a bit by watching your high wingtip, against the clear blue sky, or your lower wingtip (choose whichever one has less going on, in the background), while focusing your main attention on the vario sound.
You can actually build up a tolerance, for turning in circles. This is really the best advice that I can give to a (temporarily) wingless new pilot. Find a nice vertical pole somewhere, wrap one hand halfway around it, and walk around the pole with that arm straight out, pointed at the pole. You will make a one yard (meter) radius turn. Five turns, at one time, are probably enough to start. If that goes well, you can make five more turns, in the opposite direction. Wait a few hours (at least) before you repeat this practice. When five turns either way will present no problem to you, add a few more turns. Then do seven or eight circles, in each direction, on Day Two. Do only as many circles as you can, each day, *without* getting dizzy or sick. As your tolerance builds, add a few more circles, on each passing day.
No matter what else you may learn when you are not actually thermalling, it won't help you go up, if you do not develop a physical resistance to dizziness, first. Take your time with this practice. Any amount of "turning" practice is better than none.
Historical note: in 1977, I lived (camped) at Point of the Mountain, Utah. It became apparent that (MORE)