Dear Hummingfrog, you are quite right, I have never FLOWN a helicopter. All my time (3000 + hours) is flying what your colleagues so delightfully term a PLANK! I have enjoyed four rides in helicopters - (what should we plankdrivers call helicopters? any suggestions? ....eggbeaters, etc)
I was especially interested to observe the maneuver which I understand is used when the donkey (Lycoming?) goes quiet, is that called an autorotation?
And if the donkey goes quiet, that is an emergency, yes? so stick held back? (as in the Air France Airbus cockpit) We plank drivers, if it all goes quiet, usually have a reasonable chance of gliding down to a safe arrival, if we remember NOT to hold the stick back.