cdb, I think shytorque has given a good idea of the pilot's view on this - high hovering is hard work, especially for a low time pilot in an underpowered machine like an R22. Coming to the hover also makes you all but invisible to other traffic as it is the movement of an aircraft that usually attracts your eyes to it.
The short answer is that pilots and ATCos should have a working knowledge of each other's jobs and limitations - usually a visit to the tower or a famil flight is all it takes - everone enjoys it and all go away with more knowledge and understanding than they started with.