IFMU,
Thanks for reminding me about gliders... the glider pilot has a nifty control (dive brake/spoiler) that he usually sets at half so that the glide can be instantly adjusted up or down without changing angle of attack or power of course (no engine). The spoiler is a handy control that airplanes lack.
The helicopter has a handy control called the collective to adjust approach path in up or down drafts that the airplane lacks.
So I think gliders and helicopters have a big advantage in approach path control.
I am a glider pilot. My ship (a motorglider) can come down at about 2000fpm with full spoiler. So with half spoiler on a normal approach I have access to about 1000fpm of up lift or 1000fpm of down force instantly. The dive brake control works a lot like a helicopter collective. On the other hand a airplane pilot is trained to control descent with power. Adding power is not fast enough to correct for a downdraft close to touchdown, the spoiler is much more effective.
I would think a helicopter pilot would arrest a descent in a downdraft with collective (assuming a reserve is available) and that would be an advantage over using an airplane to get into a short strip with turbulence.