Crab
Why would you want a cross wind, tried it with various types and have found that nose into wind is much better 3 big reasons slower forward speed and better airflow over your vertical fin and if you touch th ground you won't roll over once nose straight.
John you are correct to do it low to the ground ( with a safety pilot ready to heave in the pedal if it goes wrong)
. I find the best technique is as follows ( in a Hughes product ) fly ac into your area at best rate of climb speed ( 269 is 41 kts 369 is 62 kts ) descending ( start with pedals in cruise setting to get used to what is going to happen). the ac should be yawed to the left. At about 10 ft level the ship from the descent with cylic only. The ac is now flying yawed to left at 5 ft with direction into wind. As you slow the ac with a combination of gentle power and rear cylic ( careful to keep ac level ) the ac will gently start to yaw right with the combination of power and slowing. Once straight you can't use any more power or slow the ac down without right yaw ( John's break away point ). Only option now is too slowly close the throttle to maintain direction. This will also have the effect of slowing rrpm. Which means the ac will stop flying and drop onto ground in a straight line. DO NOT lower collective let ground friction slow you down. Taught this to all my PPL's, once they are confident we try with more and more right pedal.
Some examples in a 369 with 15 kts of wind full fuel and 2 pax you can land the ac with the pedals stuck in cruise flight with no throttle adjustment. Stick more right pedal in at about 50 kts setting then a very slight closure of throttle.
Health warning to the Eurocopter boys US helis ( Hughes stuff ) are left pedal machines you need right boot