A few tips:
- Get training gear.
- Ignore idle up, you don't need it.
- Learn where the skids get light while keeping the tail pointed at you, we're not taking off yet. Just throttle up, get it light, set it down.
- Do this about 5-10 batteries till you can predict when it's light on the skids every time. Start to tilt the cyclic while light to learn how it reacts, do that for another 5-10 batteries.
- Only once you absolutely can predict where the skids are light, can keep the tail pointed at you, and can reasonably push it around with the cyclic without dumping it (remember we're still on the ground), move the throttle just a hair more and leave the ground. Then immediate sit back down.
- This is the point where you learn that when you leave the ground all hell breaks loose and all sorts of input is needed just to stay in one piece. Rudder to counteract throttle, cyclic to counter gyroscopic procession. Just get it light, come off the ground, and set it back down easy right away. Easy, don't dump the throttle.
- You need to program your hands to automatically apply "lift off" inputs. This probably won't make sense for a while, but it will with practice. You will come to learn that every time you lift off after getting light, there are rudder and cyclic inputs that you need to do while you transition into a hover. It won't just go from light to hover without a fight.
- From here progress at your own pace, don't even try nose in hover or anything else really till you can lift off, get 1.5 blade lengths off the ground and keep it at the same altitude, rudder pointed at you, and stay inside a 6' radius reliably.
- Some people tape off a "jail" and every time they leave it, force themselves to land and start over from the center. They say it makes you learn faster because there are consequences.
- Oh and get some spare parts now, you'll need them... Feathering shafts, swash links, rotors... You might also consider a heavier main rotor if you can get one that fits. The heavier the rotor, the more stable in a hover. carbon fiber is not your friend here. You won't be in forwards flight for a bit anyway, and it makes the transition much easier.
Anyway, that was way more than I intended to type, have fun!