RE: Flying backwards
Once you know the orientation well, you will catch on quickly to backwards flight. The way I learned orientation was to think of the blades as a dinner plate. The sticks will push down the 'dinner plate' in the direction you move the sticks. I only think of the nose direction when flying. Once you have the mindset of blade orientation in relation to the TX, no matter where the nose is pointed you will instantly know which way to push the dinner plate down. I hope this makes sense and helps. Orientation is the hardest part to learn.