Help-A newbie in need!

[Zaclobsterboy]

Hi all,
downloaded FMS and started playing with it- I have some questions.
I want to fly gliders and so I started with the Diamant and one of the slope scenes that comes with the program. I hand launch from the slope and watch as my models drifts around and ultimately crashes back down to earth!
As I understand it I need to launch the model into the wind and then turn the glider to run parallel with the slope and ride the updraft. In the simulation I have been giving the Wind value as 2 or 3 (anything above seems to blow my model off the screen!) and direction of wind as 0 degrees! Is this correct? I need to add wind surely for it to create the lift needed? It seems that if you use Thermal soaring the thermals are present in default mode but that no wind exists unless you activate it. Am I wildly off the mark here? Am I trying to run before I can fly, uhh walk! At the moment I'm just using the keyboard to control the model, I'm waiting for my USB transmitter to arrive but couldn't resist getting started.
Thanks for your patience, any guidance appreciated!!

[Z]