Hi crab,
You would pull to the torque limit, whilst observing the PTIT limits as well, overpitching was probably the wrong terminology. That was enough to clear you off the deck with forward speed but would not have been adequate for a 'normal' lift into the hover and transition as, when you moved off the deck, you would not have enough lift as you would lose the ground effect of the deck.
Was a fair while ago but worked well.