Ok, here is what I did in my first day!

I CRASHED twice!

And I am happy with both of the crash!

My instructor Paul told me two things before I bigin the first flight:
1. Look forward at your target. (which is a wind sock, about 50 meters away, down the slop.)
NEVER look down at the ground! it is worse than closing your eyes!
2. Relax, don't grab the control bar too hard.

I will explain to you what the control bar is for and how the gliding site is like.
Let's talk about the CRASH first.

I followed what Paul told precisely, treat his word like bible, because I don't want to risk myself into trouble.
The first two flights are nice and easy, I will describe how good it feels after the crash.

The third flight, I was trying to be smart, and pulled in the control bar to gain speed after took off, three seconds later, before I know what is going on, I just feel my hamlet hit the sand ( the gliding site is at beach), and my face and glasses embedded into sand.
I have no idea what happened, and why I am in the sand, I was flying perfectly three seconds ago?!

Paul rushed to me and ask me how do I feel.
I took off my glasses, which is full of sand, and told him I am fine.
The glider and hamlet took most of the hitting energy and I only feel a little bit of scrach pain from my face. There is no blood and scrach though.

Paul told me, that I must have been looking down.
I don't remeber where was I looking, but I believe I looked down, otherwise I can tell that I was rushing downward too much. Looking down on the sand, make me can not tell my position, speed, and altitude.

NEVER look down! I learned it hard way, and will never forget it!

Too late for today, I will continue next time.

This hang gliding experience happend at April 15th, 2006, a Saturday.

Harry Liu