AnFI, serious question for you:
Have you ever been in VRS that has developed past the initial phase, lowered the collective as you say is the smartest thing to do and tried to "fly out of it" but for the first few seconds nothing happens and the VSI is still pegged? You move the cyclic either far forward or off to one side but the helicopter doesn't respond to your control inputs all the while the flying brick that you are seatbelted to continues to plummet towards cumulo-granite? Have you ever experienced this?