A method for engaging hovering flight of a rotary-wing aircraft, said aircraft following a path T sol relative to the ground with a forward speed Va, a longitudinal direction X extending from the rear of said aircraft to the front of said aircraft, an elevation direction Z extending upwards perpendicularly to said longitudinal direction X, and a transverse direction Y extending from left to right perpendicularly to said longitudinal direction X and elevation direction Z, said aircraft comprising: - at least one rotary wing provided with a plurality of main blades (111, 112, 113), the collective pitch and the cyclic pitch of which are variable about a pitch axis, said aircraft being capable of performing movements in rotation about said directions X, Y, Z and in translation along said directions X, Y, Z, - an autopilot which generates control commands in accordance with predefined modes of operation and in accordance with flight setpoints, said control commands being capable of causing said movements of said aircraft in rotation and/or in translation along said directions X, Y, Z, and - flight commands comprising at least one control member (31, 32) which is provided jointly with a plurality of movement axes A, B, C, D, characterised in that - a first operating mode of said control members (31, 32) and of said autopilot is applied when a longitudinal speed U X of said aircraft is greater than a first threshold speed V threshold1, said longitudinal speed U X being a projection of said forward speed Va onto said longitudinal direction X, said autopilot then enabling said aircraft to approach a stop position S which is determined during the engagement of said method while maintaining path, said flight setpoints of said autopilot being a ground course angle TK sol, a deceleration rate Ga of said forward speed Va, a slope P and a heading ψ, and - a second operating mode of said control members (31, 32) and of said autopilot is applied when said longitudinal speed U X is less than a second threshold speed V threshold2, said first threshold speed V threshold1 being greater than said second threshold speed V threshold2, said autopilot then enabling said aircraft to engage hovering flight while maintaining heading towards said stop position S, said flight setpoints of said autopilot being said longitudinal speed U X, a lateral speed V Y and a vertical speed W Z and a heading ψ, said longitudinal, lateral and vertical speeds U X, V Y, W Z varying towards a zero forward speed. - at least one rotary wing provided with a plurality of main blades (111, 112, 113), the collective pitch and the cyclic pitch of which are variable about a pitch axis, said aircraft being capable of performing movements in rotation about said directions X, Y, Z and in translation along said directions X, Y, Z, - an autopilot which generates control commands in accordance with predefined modes of operation and in accordance with flight setpoints, said control commands being capable of causing said movements of said aircraft in rotation and/or in translation along said directions X, Y, Z, and - flight commands comprising at least one control member (31, 32) which is provided jointly with a plurality of movement axes A, B, C, D, - a first operating mode of said control members (31, 32) and of said autopilot is applied when a longitudinal speed U X of said aircraft is greater than a first threshold speed V threshold1, said longitudinal speed U X being a projection of said forward speed Va onto said longitudinal direction X, said autopilot then enabling said aircraft to approach a stop position S which is determined during the engagement of said method while maintaining path, said flight setpoints of said autopilot being a ground course angle TK sol, a deceleration rate Ga of said forward speed Va, a slope P and a heading ψ, and - a second operating mode of said control members (31, 32) and of said autopilot is applied when said longitudinal speed U X is less than a second threshold speed V threshold2, said first threshold speed V threshold1 being greater than said second threshold speed V threshold2, said autopilot then enabling said aircraft to engage hovering flight while maintaining heading towards said stop position S, said flight setpoints of said autopilot being said longitudinal speed U X, a lateral speed V Y and a vertical speed W Z and a heading ψ, said longitudinal, lateral and vertical speeds U X, V Y, W Z varying towards a zero forward speed.