A method for controlling a rotorcraft, including receiving, by a fly-by-wire (FBW) system of the rotorcraft, a pilot input that initiates an automated descend-to-hover flight mode, scheduling, by the FBW system, a descend plane for bringing the rotorcraft to a hover, and autonomously descending and decelerating the rotorcraft according to the descend plane in response to determining that the rotorcraft has entered the automated descend-to-hover flight mode and until the rotorcraft reaches a hover or the rotorcraft exits the automated descend-to-hover flight mode.