An autorotation is a helicopter piloting maneuver that consists of an entry (gaining altitude then dipping towards your target point at a certain speed), a glide (a smooth pace from your entry point to the target), a flare (a sudden balance adjustment to the helicopter rotors that turns it in midair on a designated vector), and the last move which consists of a touch down (if you’re intending to land) or a power recovery (meaning you used the auto rotation to “drift” in midair and change course rapidly, so now you travel along your new vector).
In Automotive Racing terms, the autorotation is best compared to a drift, where rapid changes in direction are done by making the car slide into and with it’s forward momentum while steering the nose directly into a new attack angle. Once the car completes it’s drift-slide, it’s pointed squarely at the new direction and goes straight into it. Now, imagine doing that but add a THIRD dimension of altitude instead of operating on a flat plane.
One of the keys to learning autorotation is awareness of the balance of your helicopter. Most civilians learning to pilot aircraft fail to take notice of mild changes in the pitch, yaw, and attitude of the aircraft. In simple terms, remember that tilting the nose too high makes you go up, dipping it down too much makes you eat pavement, and rolling too far to the left or right also affects the balance of the aircraft. Keep the helicopter on an even keel at all times to avoid loss of control. IF you can’t physically get used to “feeling” the balance of the helicopter, then pay close attention to the meters on the dashboard.
Balance aside, another key to mastering autorotation is control. This means that you should put enough pressure on the pedals and stick to make your turns and changes in balance precise. I used the analogy of a car racing drift because it’s easier for people to relate. Just like you should avoid over or under steering on a drift, avoid stomping on the pedals or yanking on the stick.
Lastly, know when to adjust power in an autorotation. Like applying gas and brakes properly on a drift, the helicopter equivalents are boosting the power for speed and cutting the power back to arrest your forward momentum. Given the four parts of an autorotation, ramp the power UP on entry, maintain it during the glide, cut it back during the flare, and either kill it on touchdown or boost it back up if going for a power recovery.