Wow. It sounds like you have stumbled upon the nose up tornado manoever with you standing in the center! If you could do that with the heli in front of you the whole time, you will have officially learned a "3D" move. Sounds like you are doing well!!

IMHO, I would learn autos, loops and rolls next. Also, practice the finese stuff regularly (i.e., nice scale takeoffs and landings; smooth slow circuits with constant speed and altitude; precision hovering, etc.)

Do you have a simulator? If not, get one and try the more adventurous stuff in there first. I have been flying for three months and I'm trying to learn autos. I practice them in the sim before I go out with the heli and it really seems to help. I did the same thing with forward flight, circuits, rolls, etc. Based on your description, it sounds like you may already be doing fast forward flight, hard banking turns, 45 degree descents, etc. Believe it or not, once you are comfortable flying fast circuits, loops and rolls really are just a matter of courage--it's not that hard. Stay high at first and you will pick them up quickly. I discovered that I could roll to inverted and hold it there the first time I tried (after sim practice)

Ain't this a blast! :bananahea