Eifion Herbert Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I have this wierd thing that happens at heights, mountains, ladders, clifs, tops of towers when exploring castles etc. I get a strange dizzy feeling, but, oddly it doesn't happen when I look down. I can go to the edge of a cliff and look down happily enough, but when I look up the world starts to spin. I think it's a combination of being aware that you're up somewhere high, and falling over would be a Very Bad Thing, and then when you look up your entire field of view is taken up by sky, so you loose the visual reference that assures you that you're still upright. As you can imagine, this poses some issues when slope soaring, as it's primarily done from high up locations while looking upwards! I was wonderingn if anyone else experiences this, and have they found it's diminished over time, or found some way to get over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 hello eifion......try some travel sickness tablets........ ken anderson...ne...1.......up high dept.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu knowles Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I had an ear virus which gave me severe vertigo in the short term but long term is has damaged my sense of balance. Like you, without visual references I have the sensation of loosing my balance, so darkness, even pulling my jumper off over my head can lead to a feeling of toppling. Its been a couple of years now, it doesn't stop me doing anything, just unpleasant. stu k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 OK so it's not Vertigo, but us 'senior' flyers may suffer high blood pressure for whatever reason - so if these are not taken, light headedness may result and a loss of concentration... and that was behind the demise of my old WOT 4 - had to dig the engine out of the ground with a fork! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eifion Herbert Posted June 16, 2013 Author Share Posted June 16, 2013 The strange thing is it only happens when I'm high up. I can be on a flat field and look upwards, loosing all visual cues and have no reaction. Put that flat field on the edge of a slope and as soon as I lift my eyes the world starts to spin and the pit of my stomach drops. Doesn't stop me sloping mind, I just put up with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Chambers Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Me too! I used to quite happily climb up on top of 40ft high silos and look down, but if I looked up whoa! I had to grab hold of the rail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Jones Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I've never had vertigo when sloping, possibley because I only took it up in the last few years. My start in RC was delayed by a relapse in my MS, one of the symptoms being vertigo, especially if visual refernces were lost. Fortunately remission alowed me to get flying and though I've had to take the occasional "rest" I think that model flying has improved my balance and co-ordination immensley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Eifion - try taking a camping stool or chair and see if siting down reduces the effect? My dad and I are both terrible with heights (I have got better with time mind) and when we boarded the loft as we built my parents house (3 floors with only joists below us), my dad was far happier sat down than stood up..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 OK - its tell the truth time. I'm well known for being highly resistant to the idea of going slope soaring. Now as it happens I'm not full of enthusiasm for the idea of standing in a force 9 wind with a chill factor of minus 10. But the real fact is I have a similar problem. I feel very unsafe on the edge of drops that face into wide open space. Now the funny thing is it doesn't affect me in aeroplanes, or things like ladders or climbing generally. I'll work on a roof quite happily. It doesn't effect me standing on flat ground and looking up at the sky - otherwise I wouldn't be able to fly a conventional model. Its the combination of the two together; standing on the edge of a drop, in front of a wide open space, that sends me spinning. I almost feel drawn forward! (Very bad idea!). I've never been able to understand this - but your theory about the lack of a visual reference in the context of a potentially dangerous fall may well be right. It would explain why its not heights per se that bother me its the combination with a "void". BEB PS Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. "Please Sir, I have a note from my mum that says I'm excused"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 BEB - perfect, you can be our baseline for the chair experiment. see you on the Orme, a week Sat (at Dave G's wedding this weekend....) Olly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 BEB - I too dislike heights when I am on the earth as it were ( no problems in an aeroplane etc ), but likewise, only if I have to get to the very edge - no such problems at the Orme, as you never have the feeling of being either : a) Up very high b) On the edge So, I'm afraid that excuse is not valid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie sawyer Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 There was a tv program on 2 weeks ago and I cant remember what it was called but it was explaining exactly what you are experiencing....or very similar at least. Basically they setup an experiment and filmed it. The people they used for the example were not aware of what was being studied but were told after what they had experienced during the test. The test involved a room with 3 sides being built and a roof on top. The room was painted white and had black vertical lines on the left and right wall only. The black lines were only about an inch wide so they were very clear on the white back ground. The room that was built was not joined to the floor but instead rolled on wheels so it could be moved backwards and forwards. There was a platform about 6 inches high in the midle of the room to stand on that was about 18 inches square. The floor was painted totally white also. A subject was told to stand on the platform in the middle of the room and hold a tray of 6 glasses full of water. When they were on the platform in the middle of the room hidden people moved the sliding walls in a backwards motion and every time they did this the subject in the middle of the room fell off the platform and spilled the glasses full of water every where... Fact was the people weren't moving at all as they were on a fixed platform in the middle of the room and completely stationary. It was the brain telling them that they were moving forward because of the black lines on the left and right wall. It was a not so nice sensation from what I seen but a very clever sientific example of how the brain tricks you into thinking you are moving due to lack of visual orientation.... Im not sure if this is what you are getting but I thought I would share it with you in case it is your problem. Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essjay Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Vertigo is a term often used (incorrectly) to explain a fear of heights. In fact vertigo is the term used for any type of spinning sensation which could be attributed to looking up at, or down from height, but just as easily attributed to any kind of movement or change of visual perspective eg. sitting down, getting up, or simply walking along. Acrophobia is the correct term for a fear (phobia) of heights, and can bring on panic attacks in extreme cases and cause the subject to "freeze" and become immovable. Apparently twice as many women as men are affected by acrophobia. It's reckoned that as height increases, the human balance system relies more and more on visual cues for position and motion, which from our point of view as fliers looking skywards, with moving models and clouds etc. probably all combine to accentuate the symptoms. Why some are affected more than others........that's a whole new question! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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