There does seem to be a divide amongst ATCOs; those who understand helicopters, and are aware of their limitations and strengths - and those who don't understand.
For example, modern twin helis can fly at much higher speed than some realise. I have been asked to "make best speed" during an ILS, due to one behind, only to be asked to slow down again shortly after because I was catching up the B767 ahead! If I get some advance warning about fitting in with traffic on rejoin I can always slow right down to 30kts (but 55kts IMC, we don't like too slow there as we need visual reference to hover and the autopilot/coupling has minimum speed limits) or we can accelerate to 160kts. Much nicer for the pax; one thing that makes pax sick is those slow, tight orbits!
I often don't need to go to the runway to depart VFR, only a clear area (over a reasonable surface in case of a low-speed abort and re-landing due to a single engine failure before TDP - less than 30 kts IAS on my present type).
I am quite happy to land on a runway with one ahead, or even to side-step onto a taxyway, or grassed area on finals.
What I really can't do is to follow complicated and detailed, unfamiliar taxy ATC instructions if I'm in the hover, at least not if it involves reading a plate! My aircraft starts flying as soon as the rotors turn and keeps on flying until they've stopped - I need both hands on the controls to keep it all in shape. "Take the first right & second left on the taxiway, hold at S" etc. is far easier for us, thanks. I can't safely let go of the controls for more than a second or so - even to ground taxy. I can just about change a tx ponder code in the hover, but many pilots can't, depending on heli type. To give me a complicated clearance or change after I've lifted might cause me a problem as I have to fly the a/c with both hands, read it back, set the codes and remember the rest of it. I might already be coping with a crosswind or downwind, even whilst taxying.
Similarly, I have problems with a downwind touchdown if expediting to vacate a runway - to do that I need to raise the nose hard and I can easily touch the tail on the ground / hit the tail rotor as it sits close to the ground already.
Especially when departing into IMC / IFR, my initial workload will be as high, if not higher, than on many fixed wing aircraft (and I'm single pilot IFR). Same on short finals, especially if on an instrument approach. I can't understand why some ATCOs see fit to talk to us on the radio at these critical times when they wouldn't do it to a fixed wing pilot. We need a "sterile cockpit" as much as they do, we might be flying to Performance profile numbers at this stage, with regard to speed and rate of descent.
We heli pilots with an IR keep current but we aren't routinely flying the ILS so we might not be as slick at it as the jet boys are. If I do ask for an ILS it's usually because I really need it, so be gentle - please!
However, when joining VFR I can often fly very close behind a preceding aircraft at what seem like suicidal wake/vortex spacing on finals because I don't need to fly through the same air as he does (is one rotor span from his tailfin OK?), I'm above his wake on a normal approach and can offset on his upwind side, to get further, lateral spacing. You possibly noticed that when I'm cleared to land on a runway having been "number 2", I'm often well laterally offset and/or very steep, until I'm past him, or past his touchdown point - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it
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