Almost 50 years ago I flew with an ETPS graduate in a RN Wasp. He demonstrated fully developed VRS - and I do mean it was really fully developed - we started at 9000ft, commenced the recovery at about 8000ft and recovered at just above 4000ft with the ROD having been pegged to the bottom of the dial. No way can you recover from fully developed VRS within 50 ft!!!!
I do appreciate that a Wasp in auto is like a brick built outhouse anyway but it was a very sobering demonstration of how much height it took to get out of VRS. I shall remind him of that trip when we meet for lunch next month.