One of the biggest appeals to a helicopter over a regular airplane is the fact that you can make it hover in midair. This allows for amazing agility compared to conventional forward-moving aircraft, and also gives you the ability to land almost anywhere there’s a relatively flat surface, an ability shared only by VTOL (vertical take off and landing) airplanes. Learning hovering is one of the basics of helicopter operation, but it takes a bit of practise to master.
One of the first tips to remember in piloting a helicopter is that the tail rotor will tend to push the helicopter to the right. This means that, with absolutely no pressure on the stick or pedals, a helicopter will turn in lazy circles when left in dead air. Compensate for this by putting slight pressure adjustments on the pedals.
The second tip for mastering hovering is to remember that there are actually very few instances of dead air. Atmospheric changes cause air to always constantly be in motion, so wind and air pressure WILL cause occassional changes to the tilt of your helicopter. Unlike idling a car engine, where the road under you stays the same, hovering requires a constant awareness of the changes that air will exert on your helicopter. This means that you shouldn’t HOLD adjustments to your stick and pedals. Be ready at an instant’s notice to make corrections.
Keeping this in mind leads us to the third tip, that of control. Changes to the stick and pedals of a helicopter require pressure, not body motion. This means that you shouldn’t focus on moving your hand and jerking it a certain way, or stomping with your feet. Instead, focus on applying gentle pressure to the stick and pedals to make minor corrections. This tip is often very important for beginners, who usually overcompensate for changes to the helicopter’s balance, winding up making their helicopters sway wildly from one side to another while attempting to hover.
Lastly, choose where you’ll be practising hovering. It is highly recommended that you practise on or near an airport where you will have plenty of room to land, can easily refuel, and will have few obstructions to confuse your eyes. Naturally, you should have your instructor with you when you practise, and should ask permission from the air traffic controllers of the airport. These same controllers will also be able to redirect damage control and emergency units to your location in case of trouble.