While practicing, a question popped up in my mind.
How do you people halt the chopper in combat? And how do real life pilots do it?
I've been trying to stop it like we see in documentaries, pulling up the stick, lowering collective, and as VVI plumets down, pull the collective up again, but let me tell you: It's friggin' difficult!
I've more or less mastered it in EECH, and I can stop the chopper in small predesignated areas, but in LB2, it's still hard to do.

Of course I can use hover hold to help me in the finals, or even AP, but is that a legitimate tactic? Meaning, do pilots use that?

Just curious...

Oberon out.

EDIT: In case I wasn't very explicit, I mean halting the chopper without landing.

Main problem I run into is those situations is ... "rotor rpm, low" and then an unrecoverable flat spin into the turf.

Here is how I do it.
1-I lower the collective first( usualy to about30% to 50 depending on the speed I am going)

2-Then pull back on the stick. do it with some kind of emergency, not too fast tho.

3-as you drop start putting more collective slowly and letting go of the stick at the same time.

4-these two have to be coordinated so that when the stick is back to idle your collective is at the desired level to be in hover or close to hovering.

Note- Sometimes I also use rudders and breaking left or right so I don't run into enemy kill zone when they are on my 12 oclock.
Here is a tip: If you sudently see an enemy Sam in front you and you are about to enter it's kill zone, sometimes the quikest way to get out is to break right or left insted of hovering. get low and get out and come back slowly.

I have done this so many times that Everything is automatic now. I dont even have to look at the collective to come to a hover.

I hope I am making sense. lol

In helicopter theory it's taught to try not to get into that scenario, but pre-plan a lateral-running engagement to flank in from the side then use the turn's required centrifugal force to slow down your vectored speed. You'd usually be low and slow anyway, and under 45 knots or so you should be able to strafe to the side while you lean laterally to a stop.

First off this helps you avoid incoming bullets since moving in sidways is a harder target to lead. Also you won't have to pitch upward strongly and expose your soft underbelly while you struggle for aquisition, even the FCR will be partially blocked by the the fuselage out in front.

If it's an emergency then it's just like f16falcon said. Remember all the primary rules, stand-off, low and slow, etc., and you should normally avoid such hazards, but, if you were on an ideal, predictable battlefield, where would all the suspense be?