BB,
Let's just say I'm of the "blue box" generation so I am fully aware of the training maneuver used while wearing the horse blinders in the real aircraft. But those take-offs were done from a runway, not from a field site surrounded by obstructions.
My question remains - have you done a 0/0 take-off in he actual aircraft? In actual 0/0 (or even near that) conditions?
I would wonder how the Ops Officer would have signed your flight release without an available departure alternate.
The AW139 does indeed have the ATT/SAS modes you describe and your comment on pilot technique is correct. But, as others have mentioned, most FD modes do not engage before 60kts (lower values for some in the latest Phase 7 software). In addition, SAR modes can do wonderful things, but they are not intended for IMC at those low speeds and do not provide obstruction clearance.