I think the only person missing in this discussion is: Prouty!!!
Great to get such a professional response.
However, in an attempt to clear the misunderstandings:
I think we all agree there is such a thing as incipient VRS and then there is VRS. [Let's forget about overpitching and settling with power for now!].
We all agree that symptoms for both, are subtly different.
[I have read Leischmanns report on VRS and several others, too.]
What I have yet to see in print, is that VRS is neither demonstrable , nor survivable (at low level).
If we all accept that VRS is a development of IVRS, where nearly all of the blade surface is stalled and that the controls are behaving erratically and randomly, how can one take control of the aircraft to be able to recover? The helo, in its 'uncontrollabe state' might decide to flip backwards or roll inverted??
IVRS is, I believe, misconstrued as the "full monty" that is to say, people think they are either being shown VRS or are experiencing VRS. Not true, they are experiencing IVRS.
No-one to my knowledge would demonstrate fully blown VRS with all the trimmings, surely
Crab: I am ex mil, and often demonstrated IVRS to ab initio's? Don't the mil do it any more?