Another pilot and I were talking about this one last night and regardless of the mechanical locks that some helicopters may have to fix the controls in position. With the A-Star being called the "squirrel" for good reason, getting out of it while running would be to me like leaving your car in neutral on a hill while revving the engine at 6000RPM and hoping nothing went wrong. Not trying to armchair quarterback, it may be the done thing there and for the most part completely safe. Just not my first choice in healthy decision making.