PPF#1,
Sorry it has taken me three pages to reply to your post - those pesky bush fires are burning again!!
You, "sport" (as you like to say) are a crack up.
You totally (and condescendingly I might add) disagreed with my statement that :
You are not reducing your rate of descent to zero in an auto unless you are consuming your potential energy. You have not caused any such tremendous increase in lift - you have simply traded inertial energy for the increase in drag that you have incurred by pulling pitch and asking for more lift.
BUT then to proove me wrong you end your explanation with:
"How does a fixed-wing glider convert its rate of descent into a climb? Right, it uses its stored-up energy by turning airspeed into lift - just like a rotorcraft. The principles are exactly the same".
Good one. Do you know what potential energy is? Is this potentially condescending?
You go ahead and imagine that a rotor disc behaves as a big wing - just spare any of your junior pilots/students from the same affliction.
You also say:
"Think about it aerodynamically. The *only* way to accomplish this level-off is if we have a surplus of lift. It must be thus."
Alright - I have thought about this aerodynamically,and..No. There is no surplus of lift in this situation. Refer to my post to you re "creating lift". There is only potential energy. Potentially.
but all this is potentially off thread......