Geez, Crab, can you at least once acknowledge, when something goes in the right direction? I think Airbus very carefully choose their words, just not to get into that fight.
I would have done the same thing and I think the wording is very clear, don't use it unless you absolutely have to - it is your last option. That should make you happy. And they are absolutely right, if you ask me (which you don't, I know). Any trick that keeps you alive is good.
As I read it, Airbus is not happy at all, that everybody is using their ships to show of the Vuichard technique. Hence the recommendation to use a freaking simulator for dangerous stuff like that.
As far as I am aware, there has never been a thorough test campaign with calibrated instruments, cameras (for blade/tailboom clearance for example) and what not, to either prove or disprove one or the other method.
All we have are people one youtube that have tried it in a training environment and are convinced, that he is right. Nobody seems to go any length to do independent research. Why? Beats me. Probably it is just not worth it.
The first HAI paper clearly shows, that SWP (yes, Settling With Power, the thing where you run out of power) vastly outnumbers VRS in deadly accidents. Yes, VRS might come right after you got into SWP, but in that scenario Vuichards technique of pulling even more power does not do any good. I think everybody can see this. You have to reduce power in SWP and absolutely not push the power pedal. Why is that so complicated to understand? Still HAI gave him an award.
Anyway, Crab, we are going to loose this. There will never be enough scientific and statistical evidence that shows, which method saves more lives. All that matters, is who sells the story better. Vuichard is way ahead of us. He is the star quarterback with the cheerleader harem and we are the geeks getting beaten up for being different.
I don't know if you realise it, but in any thread, where VRS is mentioned, Vuichard's method shows up and we get this heated discussion (and get relegated to this thread). Any time a Vuichard fan shows up, we go down hard on them with facts and they leave. Robbie being the exception (but his own experience made him think about it). They don't leave because we have convinced them, they leave because they think we are wrong. Because the majority can not be wrong and the majority are those who can make more noise. Since Robinson is the number one in training helicopters - which you hate, I know, I rather like them - and Tim Tucker is Vuichard's first disciple, the crowd is against us. Let's just suck it up and move on. We have said what is to say. Whatever Vuichard does, it will not make a difference in fatal accidents. At least I truly hope it will not make it worse.