Yes you can change from collective pitch to fixed pitch depending on your likeness. Button # 3 for me is set up for auto rotation. If I set up for collective pitch then the middle of my throttle setting is neutral. The blades even though are spinning full are not pitched so the heli stays put. When you throttle up it pitches the blades to create lift and the more you push the faster up it goes. The oposite will pitch the blade the other way flip the heli upside down and pull down full on the throttle it will hover or climb while inverted. If you dont it will fire down to the ground like a rock. The fixed pitch setting will throttle up to full rpms on the engine but not the rotor blades and until you push on the throttle stick it will sit there on the ground your throttle positon will be all the way down instead of in the middle like the collective pitch setting. If you are new to helis then yes the sim is going to be very unstable for you almost like there are some settings that are off. Mainly because unlike planes that can fly without rudder you need to have complete control over all 4 movements of the sticks and you cannot over react or over correct or it will crash. I am by far not a heli expert but I have messed with them enough to fly em and get them to go where I point them. Hope this helps. Good Luck.