If you enter full VR, it is almost impossible to recover from it without loosing 1000's of feet,
What sort of aircraft? Given that VRS is simply a set of vortices circulating around the blades in isolation of the surrounding air mass and therefore the aircraft is in free fall, it will accerarate at G whilst it stays in VRS. Can you then expain how those vortices remain with the rotor disc in the face of the accelarating resultant airflow? Surely the limiting coefficient of static friction of that surrounding airmass must have an effect on those pesky vortices quite quickly?
Perhaps the aircraft you are quoting falls or progresses into another type of 'failed lift scenario', other than VRS if I may use such a term? Did your aircraft have tapered blades for example?
I have always found 2,000 feet quite safe, higher if you wish to explore further, in and out of VRS.
I doubt there would be much difference between doing it all and recovery into the downwind or into wind condition, maybe a few feet, big deal, it is just that it easier to get caught if moving in the direction of the wind.
From the students achievement point of view I always see it as important to teach not only the actual characteristics of VRS and recovery, but to progress that strongly with many of the "circumstances" that will trap the unwary in low level flying.
A maneuvre I demonstrate and later ambush pilots with is to give the following set of three conditions. Travelling in the direction of the wind, I.E. Downwind, Decreasing airspeed and Descending, all at once. Feel the hairs rise up on the back of your neck just thinking about it.
I liken it to Drinking; Driving and Death; three D's together.
If one wishes to descend while travelling downwind, use collective only, keep the cyclic forward with positive airspeed.
The subtle hazard of light headwinds or nil wind is another, by projecting your downwash in front of you in a fairly fast approach with flare then descending into it or; as in not seeing a sudden wind vortice that changes your wind status from head wind to tailwind when decreasing airspeed and descending at low level.
The Downwind condition I classify as moving in the direction of the wind,
regardless of helicopter heading but at a slower Ground speed than wind speed. I.E. A negative or tail wind. To accelerate to translation from that condition takes more power than commencing from a stationary ground speed in either a nil or a light head wind. It's simply a matter of the aircraft mass having to move further before it takes up the power saving extra lift from higher airspeed.
You can measure that on the ground in distance and power used in the simple hover downwind vs into wind excercises. How many measure the distance as well as note power?
All good fun
tet.