I also fly the type, it's not a good system and the only helicopter type I know where it's a problem. I once landed at an airfield and was marshalled to park on the large and mainly empty apron. They watched me as I put the aircraft to bed with all covers and tip socks on and chocked it for overnight. About an hour later I was about to get into my taxi to my overnight accommodation when the handler came out and said they needed to move the aircraft and wanted me to sit in to apply the brakes while they towed it. I said no thanks, the brakes don't work after shutdown so if the towing arm broke I would be part of the accident with no way of steering or stopping.
"But our SOPs say the aircraft brakes must be manned whilst towing....!", came the reply.
Said I: "In which case you have two choices. Leave the aircraft where it you got me to park it, or get your SOPs changed! Or one of your chaps to walk alongside with a chock!"
"But we aren't allowed to do that, it's dangerous...!"
"More dangerous than putting someone inside a potential runaway?"
It was still parked there next day....
The other problem is that the hydraulic rotor brake doesn't hold for long either, so there's little point leaving it "ON" after rotor shutdown. It DOES come on if you then start the engines..... once the hydraulics begin to pressurise this quickly destroys the rotor brake and other expensive parts in the transmission.. Yes, I know of a poor soul who did this on the first day (and only day) with his new boss
