Really the only way to learn is to jump in and do it. The sims really don't help. I'm a master flyer on the sims, but the real thing is totally different. I'm a novice flyer with the real thing.

So to learn you need to do it. Since I've just pasted the newbie learning stage the tips I learned are still fresh in my mind.

Here are the tips I can give.

1. make sure your pico and rotor head are setup well. (balanced decently and everything aligned right, flybar paddles flat and equal to each other. Flybar links flat and aligned. (these don't need to be that perfect as some say... I just rough them in visually.)

2. Make sure AFTER you mount the battery that the pico is well balanced. You need to put your fingers under the fly bar and lift it. Check the pico balance for port and starboard and fore and aft. As you lift it to check balance the skids should me parallel to the ground in both directions. If not, move your battery a little to make the pico balance in all 4 directions.

3. Blades! should be connected to the rotor head with bolts that are "loose enough" to allow you to easily pivot the blades by hand, but not so loose that they pivot by themselves if you tip the head. You'll start to learn the feel of the right tension. This is VERY important for good control.

4. Build some training gear if possible. I used some carbon fiber (CF) kite sticks and ping pong balls (see mine at the link below)

5. Set the pico and hopefully training gear down on a smooth surface (no carpet) a cement floor works great... or other smooth surface like linoleum or flat tile that will allow the pico to slide on it.

6. power up the pico and if it vibrates a lot, power down and move your main rotor blades a little... if possible use a triangle or square to make sure the main blades are at a 90 degree angle to the flybar rod. If they are properly positioned you'll eliminate the vibration. If you have them properly tensioned you may see vibration at first, but once the centrifugal force starts to take effect the blades will align and balance themselves. (proper tension is needed to allow this to happen) to tight and they won't move, to loose as they whip around and don't stay in one place. You may hold the pico down by it's skids when testing this phase.

7. Once you're past the vibration stage - power up again and watch which way the pico slides on the floor. Adjust the trim on your radio to eliminate the fore/aft/side to side sliding. (some slight left movement is normal due to the rotor torque) (see instructions about putting a little wedge under the left skid to help eliminate this.

8. If your pico rotates instead of just sliding, you need to turn the tail rotor mixing pot on the piccoboard up or down depending on which way the pico rotates. You can also use tail rudder trim on your radio to fine tune this a little. As you power up the pico should remain facing in the same direction and should NOT rotate. If it does do no fly until you have solved this problem.
Position yourself behind and slightly left of the pico. (this is your starting flying position for all power up tests and first flights)

9. When trimmed so that it doesn't slide around (or slightly slides left a little) and it doesn't rotate... you have it set up properly. NOW if possible move the pico to carpet (or something that will pad your crash) carpet is easier to crash on then cement. But setup/trimming needs to be done on the smooth hard surface. I trim on the wood floor in my home then move it to the carpet when I'm ready to lift off. The carpet also stops the pico from sliding away when lifting off.

10. spin up the rotor slowly until it's spinning at a good rate and the blades balace out. Then your ready to lift off. Give more throttle (not to slowly) but enough to get it up 12-16 inches. Be ready to power down in case of emergency. Perform short hops - up and down. Make sure the nose stays away from you and doesn't turn. Make sure that the pico doesn't take off and start flying in some direction on it's own. If it does you haven't trimmed it quite right. Adjust the trim on your radio and try some more hops. When ever you get into trouble, kill the throttle. Keep practicing these hops until they get longer and longer and longer. At first I was thrilled to get 3 seconds of flight. Then I was excited to get a personal record of 9 seconds. Then 30 seconds... now full packs. It's very gratifying and yet very frustrating while learning and breaking things.

The key is in the setup and trim. If you don't trim it right, you will be fighting it all the way. It will want to go in it's own direction and you will try and pull it back. As you release the stick once you get it back - it will go it's own direction again (because it's not trimmed!) and you'll pull it back again this causes a tug of war... resulting in a rocking state of poor control. It takes time to balance and setup, and takes time to trim it... the bad part when learning is after each crash (even tiny ones) you need to start from the beginning (#1 above) and re-check balance, blades and trim again!!!!!!!!! Luckily as you get better this re-setup procedure is done less frequently.

I hope this helps - but there really is only one way to learn. You have to do it.

p.s. Setting negative expo. on your radio controls or setting LESS ATV (servo throw) can also be very helpful to decrease over control.