Thanks for the response Ryan. I will start looking into a cheap joystick.

Hi Gabe, and welcome to AVSIM. It's always a genuine pleasure to meet someone new.As it happens, I have a Logitech Wingman Pro USB joystick that has literally been sitting around gathering dust ever since I switched to a CH Yoke and Pedals some years ago.I'd happily send it to you gratis if you want it. I see you're in Ohio, so it's not a huge issue to send it from Northwest Indiana where I live. If you want it, PM me your snail-mail address and I'll pop it off to you USPS.

Hi Gabe,1. Besides being "free" why would it not be worth checking out?... if you do not mind spending a few minutes of your life downloading / installing / and then seeing what is in it... I thought it worthwhile.The Mustang is fun doing some of the "challenges" and I do not mind flying from the external view. You have decide if it is worth your hard earned cash. If I need an internal Mustang view I can fly one in FSX.2. Only if you don't use it before noon and not more than two to three times per day.I've got 4500 hrs playing FSX (since release... according to the log) and I am not intending to slow down anytime soon. FLIGHT will be a part of my Flight Sim enjoyment but I do not forsee it usurping the place of FSX.3. I used the XBox controller for 5 years with FSX. I was perfectly happy with it. Now I have the X65-F (thinking to buy the TM Warthog) and prefer it over Xbox controller. Comes down to your preference and how much money you are willing to spend.4. The only other sim I would invest in now is something like ELITE (www.flyelite.com) which I have owned years ago... and I would like to get into Rise of Flight... but FSX & FLIGHT keep me plenty busy.Instead of investing more money & time in another sim, I am "saving up" to add a glider rating to my ticket or maybe a couple bush flying courses in Alaska.-Rob

Thanks everyone for the wonderful responses. Harry thanks to your response I think I will buy the Mustang and let everyone know my thoughts on it.J van E, thank you in the extreme for your response. I like the other side of the coin and I think you presented it superbly to me. I will get the joystick but I agree that it would be something foolish of me to jump into pedals and such immediately. I own FSX already but I only use a game pad and dumb it down to the easiest it can be. However, after all that being said, I would like to up my game a little bit and become a little more "core" in the game instead of being casual. So I won't get the pedals immediately but I do think that the joystick will help me down a wonderful road.N4gix, thank you for the kind offering. I sent you a PM with some pro's and con's, let me know what you think.MV, thanks for letting me know about the joystick. Unfortunately, I don't have a Fry's around me to my knowledge and its sold out online. I will check eBay for prices.Ozzie, I will check out the ELITE that you mentioned to see what its like. I will also let you know what I think about the Mustang.

N4gix, thank you for the kind offering. I sent you a PM with some pro's and con's, let me know what you think.

The stick I'll be sending in tomorrow's post has a "twist rudder" control. Since it is a Force Feedback stick, you can try it out in FSX. Personally, I never could get to like it very much, because the constant vibration even when at "neutral" position aggravated my carpal tunnel syndrome... :acute:

I appreciate you helping me out n4gix. I sent you another message about your previous occupation :) I personally can't wait to try out the force feedback!As promised I did purchase the Mustang for the game and I believe it was a good buy. I like it's speed and it feels fun to handle (to my limited knowledge) and I now wonder if buying the Islands would be good to get the extra plane from that. I know the Mustang doesn't have an in-cockpit view, still, I enjoy the grace it seems to exhibit and just like to fly around and enjoy the view, albeit, from not to close!On a side note, speaking of the view, has anyone experience any slight lag that stutters the game? I get it sometimes when I just fly in the air or when I come in to land. It makes things extremely interesting when I get about 100 feet out and suddenly my plane doesn't like for me to have control anymore. Appreciate any insight.

No problem, I saw an 'echo' of your last PM in my email folder. To answer your question re: the "$100 Hamburger" it is a very old and venerable tradition amongst the pilot community. As Kevin narrated in his video, it's mostly an excuse to spend $90 of 100LL to get a $10 hamburger... :LMAO:But, as I mentioned in my PM, given todays costs for 100LL + Insurance, etc., it probably should be renamed the "$500 Hamburger!"Prices for 100LL have been fluctuating wildly around here. I checked and noticed with 40nm of KGYY prices range from $4.82 up to $13.58 per gallon. It's almost worth flying down to Knox, IN to fill up with their guaranteed $4.82/gal while it's still available. :Money Eyes:

Gabe,Welcome to the world of FlightSim! :Applause:First off, I want to tell you that I can't offer any observations about MS Flight because of the limitations of my computer system. I use FS 9 and also have several older MSFS titles loaded on my computer right now, in addition to a combat oriented simulator called IL-2 Sturmovik 1946.That being said, I hope I can offer some humble suggestions as to your other questions. Many have commented on both joysticks and yokes; I personally use both depending on the airplane and simulator, but most of the time I use the yoke. it has 'paddles' at thumb's reach that act as the rudders, and I find it very convenient to use. It also has throttle, prop and mixture levers which add to the 'immersion factor'. It all depends on your budget and personal preference; how it feels in your hands is a big factor, too. I have a Logitech controller with the Dual Joysticks that I've tried to use for flying helicopters, but I can't seem to get all of the buttons and axis assignments to work properly.What simulators to try out really depend on your tastes and interests. I'm a History nut, plain and simple. Everything about aviation and the history of flight has interested me since I was a young boy, and using the simulators I have can feed that interest and 'put me in the cockpit', so to speak. I can pretend I'm Jefferson DeBlanc, flying a Wildcat over Guadalcanal... I'm Saburo Sakai in my Zero, on the tail of another Dutch Brewster Buffalo... I'm a bush pilot, hauling a load of mail and medicine in my deHavilland Anik to a small village in Alaska.Gabe... Whatever you choose to do just remember to have fun, and ENJOY YOURSELF!See you out there...Alan :lol:

No problem, I saw an 'echo' of your last PM in my email folder. To answer your question re: the "$100 Hamburger" it is a very old and venerable tradition amongst the pilot community. As Kevin narrated in his video, it's mostly an excuse to spend $90 of 100LL to get a $10 hamburger... :LMAO:But, as I mentioned in my PM, given todays costs for 100LL + Insurance, etc., it probably should be renamed the "$500 Hamburger!"

I would LOVE to take a ride with someone for a $100 burger sometime!Of course, in the FS world the only cost for a $100 burger is the time invested in the flight... no 100LL or mogas, and the burgers are only a few minutes out using the grill!

Edited March 2, 201214 yr by ViperPilot

Oh ok, now it starts to make sense n4gix!Thanks for the welcome Viper. I will definitely take what you said under advisement as I get a feel for this new world to me. One joystick looks impossible enough to me, I couldn't imagine trying to use two! I'll let you know my thoughts once I get a joystick and maybe THEN I can look to a future of two haha.

. One joystick looks impossible enough to me, I couldn't imagine trying to use two!

Heh heh...Actually, what I meant was that if I'm flying an airplane like a Piper Super Cub, then I'll use the joystick. If I'm flying something like a Cessna 172 or my 206, then I'll use the yoke because they're equipped that way.The more expensive joysticks have a separate throttle assembly you grip with the left hand, then the right hand controls the airplane. It's also known as HOTAS - Hands On Throttle And Stick!Alan

Speaking of HOTAS setup... I use this setup:http://www.amazon.co...30676652&sr=8-1Its moderatly cheap for what you get, and works great (Also it works on a PS3 if you have one)I bought my dad the Saitek X52 Pro as a christmas gift a few years ago and it works great as well but on a whole different price point.Edit: Also the Thrustmaster I linked to can break apart into two peices so if you don't have one large area you can have two smaller footprints for it.

Edited March 2, 201214 yr by ZaethDekar

Speaking of HOTAS setup... I use this setup:

I had one of those for a spell. Its a good price, and the throttle detaches from the stick. Overall, it was not a BAD stick, but I did not like the rudder "rocker" on the throttle. The rudder "stick" (twisting the stick) has been with me since my first Sidewinder and I have grown to use it a lot. Even when I have a full CH rudder pedals on, I still use the twist in flight, and pedals on the ground. My dislike for the throttle rocker may just be due to the fact that I used the twist stick so much. A new user may find it just as helpful as a twist stick type rudder pedal. Rudder is very important in flying. So find what works best for you, and enjoy flying!

Welcome Gabe! There is no "right" or "wrong" way to enjoy computerized aviation - welcome to what may turn into a lifelong addiction!

Thanks for the welcome newthog.ZaethDekar, Thanks for the input. I don't have a ps3 but I like that is has functionality for both pc and console use. I'll keep that joystick in mind because the price doesn't seem bad at all for a entry into the games.