Please don't be miffed, Pipergirl. A lot of us have been in this industry for a long, long time. Because we're avid fans ourselves, we've seen just about every video clip imaginable. We dissect them at length, interminably prattling on and on about what caused what, etc.
It's tough being so jaded, having to maintain that slightly-bored, seen-it-all/done-it-all attitude. There are those on this board for whom that is a specialty. And some of us forget that there are always new people coming into aviation, making these "discoveries," watching them in fascination and awe, and wanting to share them with others. Trouble is, coming here and doing so is akin to going to your local preacher and informing him that you've just found out that people sin. But you couldn't know that.
Aviation in general and this discussion forum in particular is chock-full of self-anointed experts who just can't wait to tell you everything you need to know about flying (because *they* know everything, you see). Personally, I like poking fun at and holes in such gasbags. In a way, it makes me guilty of the same thing, but I can live with that.
Back to your video clip: Yes, that guy Hawg (or "Hog" or "Hawk"...it's hard to tell) was galactically stupid for trying to hover the little 269 without more experience. But hey, Igor Sikorsky did it! There was no one around to teach him how to fly helicopters, because he invented the dang things! You can tell that Hog is trying to get his nerve up. He inches the collective up a bit at a time...everything's cool so far...until the skids break free of the ground and then suddenly all hell breaks loose. We watch, almost expecting the crazy music accompaniment to begin, like the Benny Hill theme or something. It is a classic example of how "behind the aircraft" you can get (instantaneously!). Poor Hog never does get a handle on it. He must surely have been thinking as it went 'round and 'round, "HOW DID IGOR LEARN HOW TO DO THIIIIIIISSSSSS!?"
And that's the thing about helicopters. People assume that they're "easy" to fly. They're not. They're difficult to fly, easy to crash. When you master the art of hovering, you will feel that you have well and truly accomplished something. And you will have. But that's not even the half of it. Flying is about constantly learning, constantly improving...refining your technique and improving your judgement. It never ends. But sometimes, after a lifetime spent in the air, some of us get to thinking that nobody (especially not some wet-behind-the-ears newbie) can teach us anything. Read this forum for a few weeks and you will quickly see who I'm talking about.
The real trick in this business is to go from a "W-B-T-E" newbie to "B-T/D-T" old guy without becoming so blase (should be an accent over the "e" there) and jaded that we can't empathize with the excitement that a newcomer would get from seeing that video. But you know what? It is amazing. It still gets my adrenalin pumping every time I watch it. It's a lesson that all of us can continually learn from.