I began my r/w training in the mid-1970s, and I was mostly taught by guys who had recently returned from Vietnam. They INSISTED strenuously that I do a "hover-hang" check immediately after lift-off. It did not need to be lengthy - just a quick check of the c.g., instruments and lights with one last glance at the fuel gauge just to be sure. Maybe a couple of seconds. It was a lesson I never forgot.
But late in my career I see that this practice is all but gone. Pilots do a pre-takeoff check on the ground, and then use the pull-and-go technique. I was discussing the issue with the owner of a large fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. He scoffed and said that he could glance at the torque gauge as the ship broke ground, and he felt that it was the equivalent of an actual pause-and-note-hover-power check. I've concluded that many pilots do not consider such information important anymore. It's a good thing they never had to fly with some of my primary instructors!