strafer,
My comment was not intended to be blase, more a case of "There but for the Grace of God...", "Let he who is without sin..." etc.
We check the fuel before each flight, and the lights. Also, checking the gauges is part of the cruise checks, ie making sure you are burning fuel at the rate you think you should, and at the same time, that the gauges are working. You should never - unless it's completely unavoidable - be flying over large areas of forest anyway, unless at a height at which you could glide (autorotate) clear; if I did so during training I'd get given a PFL. Ditto if flying over towns;though most of them do have flat areas where you could land in an emergency, it's something that's always born in mind. Over water? Well, lots of people won't fly single engined helicopters over water; I'm not one of them, but it is indeed a calculated risk...but I'm talking of engine failure here, not fuel mismanagement.
Would I like to travel more than five minutes from the airfield? Helicopters, as I said, don't require an airfield. "Fuel light coming on" is an emergency I've practised; you land as soon as possible, ie in a field, preferably close to a road. "Someone" hasn't told me the gauges are accurate; virtually everyone says they are. I don't believe it 100%, and always check as I fly, because that's the way I am, and that's what I was taught to do(and teach).
The only point I'm making is that I'm a helicopter instructor, and helicopters are different in some ways. Now let's not highjack this very important and interesting thread.