boleyd Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I know this is a time worn subject but I have, what is to me, a unique situation. I have used the CH Yoke for several years. My use of FSX and P3D is to "fly" single engine old-fashioned aircraft. My yoke is mounted on my desk with the monitor behind it. Being just plain old I have to sit uncomfortably close to the desk to properly see the screen. It is not the best "comfort zone" with the chair right up against the desk and the yoke so close to me. I tried a shelf to set the monitor above the yoke but due to the needed clearance for the throttle, etc. that was to high. So, setting aside physical realism what joystick might be best for an elderly simulated pilot? Remember I only use single engine aircraft (lo & slo) with an occasional flight with the Duke piston. Orbx Northwest is the primary territory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdsweet Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Boley, I went through the same thing, but the reason I didn't like the yoke was because the hat switch was on the wrong side for me to fly with my left hand. Until I get TrackIR I will be using a joystick. I fly with my left hand because that's how you would fly in the real planes as well, left hand on yoke/stick, right hand on throttle. I would say you would be fine to use a joystick. Zach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandy Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I went from a yoke to a joystick and i really miss my yoke, i found it hard to adjust to a joystick at first but with a little modding of the joystick im all good now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teecee Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 "I tried a shelf to set the monitor above the yoke but due to the needed clearance for the throttle, etc. that was to high" I am old too, and need to sit back from my monitor to focus properly. I have a slide out shelf under my computer desk which when pulled out, and the keyboard, joystick and throttle are placed on it, is perfect for me. I fly with a joystick and rudder pedals and love it.. but to be honest I feel a bit guilty about it.. I make myself feel better by remembering the some of my early RL flying was done in a Jabiru, which had a right hand joystick. Teecee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebulus Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I guess I fall into pretty much the same category as you and Teecee. I have a CH yoke but actually prefer my old Saitek X45, which has given excellent service for many years. It's more compact, has more programmable controls and seems right for stubble jumpers like the Cub, Bird Dog, Citabria/Scout, Aeronca, Wilga, etc. Got the throttle, keyboard and stick mounted on my keyboard tray too and right up close to the monitor. Works for me! The yoke can be mounted quickly if I get the urge to fly something bigger but most of the time I "stick" with the X45. Worth investing in a decent product I think - CH, Saitek or the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturi Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 "what joystick might be best for an elderly simulated pilot? Remember I only use single engine aircraft (lo & slo) with an occasional flight with the Duke piston. Orbx Northwest is the primary territory." the logitech extreme Joystick is an excellent heavy duty stick and only $30. I use it for FSX and DCW and I can afford to spend 10 times that but there is no need. There are many ways to get comfortable when flying and you dont need a desk either, you just need imagination. I fly in a big padded recliner in front of a projector screen but you can also mount your pc screen on a rack available from pc stores and get rid of the desk completely if you use a stick as there is no need for rudder pedles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkH Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 what joystick might be best for an elderly simulated pilot? CH Flightstick Pro. It's a bit pricey but it's great quality and can be used with either hand. It can also be used without having to grip the stick like it was a pistol, which means it's more natural for flying some of these older aircraft or gliders where you can just rest you hand or a few fingers on top of the stick. If you check out my CH v. Saitek video (click the banner below) you will see the Flightstick towards the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill ho Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 hi.i use the logitech as mentioned by zoran (work great) but i can't imagine flying without rudder pedals again...cheers Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boleyd Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 Excellent discussion. Glad to see I am not the only one with the need to adapt. I do have the CH pedals for ruder actions.The Logitech Extreme looks like a good item to try and only costs the same as a 1/2 tank of gasoline. Thanks to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teecee Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I got the Saitek X52pro ages ago.. a bit pricey, but for me worth every penny, and I would not trade it for any other. Teecee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebulus Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Mark H. said: "If you check out my CH v. Saitek video (click the banner below) you will see the Flightstick towards the end." Mark, I always enjoy your great videos and reviews. Thanks for the link shown above and the opportunity to subscribe to your channel. I certainly agree that rudder pedals are pretty much essential. If you are into eggbeaters...., well, good luck without them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utley Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 If you dont mind shelling out a few bucks, Obutto makes a wonderful cockpit that works well with a yoke and rudder setup. Ive been on the fence on getting one myself, but Im trying to get a few things paid off before I splurge on this thing. http://www.mainperfo...gaming-cockpit/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurice_King Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Different strokes for different folks really , I fly many different GA Aircraft and depending on what this then decree's what I use as a controller . For instance if I am in any of the Light GA types such as the Warrior, Cessna or Beechcraft I will use my Saitek yoke pedals etc with throttle quadrant/s mimicking the approximate location in the real craft. If I am flying a joystick aircraft like the PA25 Pawnee , any of the excellent Soaring Sailplanes from Wolfgang Piper in FSX I will use my X52 set up that is mounted to the chair. I made a Race Cockpit in steel tube for a Sim Racing friend (currently I don't have the room) and that was just $70 for materials. this makes the Obutto while good are in essence a bit overpriced for what it is. Maybe I should look at making custom units for Aussie Pilots. Trouble is freight costs in Oz are a pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumsonly2002 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I used the Saitek X 52 Pro, and CH Fighterstick. I prefer the CH over the X 52. That being said, I prefer programming software of the X-52. If you are not using the key commands within FSX with stick, Saitek has less complex programming software. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I have my trusty X45's here, but they're getting long in the tooth and have some damage. But I make do while I save my money for the Warthog set-up. Having said that, I really miss the MS Sidewinder JS. It was a great low cost JS. Having come from combat flight sims, I've always used a stick. I flew with a friends yoke once and I wanted to use it like a steering wheel in a car, LOL. I would like to get a yoke someday, for when I fly the big iron. I also use CH rudder pedals. I can't imagine flying with out them anymore. Good luck finding the JS that works for you boleyd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Harmes Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 "what joystick might be best for an elderly simulated pilot? Remember I only use single engine aircraft (lo & slo) with an occasional flight with the Duke piston. Orbx Northwest is the primary territory." the logitech extreme Joystick is an excellent heavy duty stick and only $30. I use it for FSX and DCW and I can afford to spend 10 times that but there is no need. There are many ways to get comfortable when flying and you dont need a desk either, you just need imagination. I fly in a big padded recliner in front of a projector screen but you can also mount your pc screen on a rack available from pc stores and get rid of the desk completely if you use a stick as there is no need for rudder pedles Me too. I'm not exactly realistic, as I don't even have rudder pedals yet, I just use the twist function for the rudder. I bought my Logitech Extreme 3D joystick the same time as FSX back in 2009, and it's still working really well. It also works flawlessly with every other flight sim I own. If I had the money I'd get a Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog, along with rudder pedals. As Zoran mentions though, you could buy about 17 Logitech 3D Pros for the cost of a HOTAS Warthog. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lateagain Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Horses for courses? In the RW I originally flew a Rallye which had a long WWII style joystick. Then I moved onto a Slingsby T67C which had a short joystick much like the average FS/PC joystick and ended up flying C172's which had a yoke. What's that got to do with your question? Well bottom line is that just like driving different cars, an experienced driver will quickly learn where the controls in different cars are and just get on with driving. Same with light aircraft. You just adapt to the controls in front of you and any differences you adapt to automatically. I bought CH yoke, pedals and quadrant ......and they sit there gathering dust around my PC. I use my original Logitec Extreme 3D joystick for everything. The best investment I've made from the point of view of control is Track IR. Frankly whatever the controller the "hat switch" for view changes just doesn't make it. With track IR you can look where ever you like and from any position you like. IMHO it brings more "reality" to flight sims than any amount of control hardware. Having said that I too am a "Low and Slow" pilot and my idea of fun flying is a challenging visual approach ....not spending 40 minutes programming an FMC, adjusting a virtual cabin environment and flying SIDS, STARs and ILS's having flown above solid cloud layers. Like I said "Horses for Courses" but bear in mind that Airbus use Joysticks and Boeing Yokes so there's no such thing as a "right" controller in the RW so why faff around with different ones when simming? Use what works for you and enjoy the real challenges of flying, including of course the scenery. This is what I use and I'm sure it's available cheaper if you shop around http://www.logitech..../extreme-3d-pro It has the POV "top hat", a throttle, switches on the top for flaps and very good trimming and a bunch of programmable buttons on the base for other functions if you want to abandon the keyboard. It also has a "thumb operated" switch on the side that allows you to cycle through the FSX views and the trigger operates your brakes. If I was dreaming of being an F16 jockey I might pay more but for GA singles I reckon this should be a first stop. If you've more money to spend (rare nowadays) buy Track IR rather than a flasher joystick. Come to think of it that would be more useful for F16 jocks too? Geoff. PS Forgot to mention rudder control is by "twist" and that is perhaps the bit that takes most getting used to if you're used to pedals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturi Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 very logical post. However your estimate .. ."Having said that I too am a "Low and Slow" pilot and my idea of fun flying is a challenging visual approach ....not spending 40 minutes programming an FMC" 40mins is way out. I can have a standard flight in the pmdg 737 fully programmed with sid/stars in under 10 minutes, in fact it can take longer to create a flight plan for a prop aircraft than a jet ) Im pretty sure that many would be jet jockies stick with props because of the perceived complications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lateagain Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 very logical post. However your estimate .. ."Having said that I too am a "Low and Slow" pilot and my idea of fun flying is a challenging visual approach ....not spending 40 minutes programming an FMC" 40mins is way out. I can have a standard flight in the pmdg 737 fully programmed with sid/stars in under 10 minutes, in fact it can take longer to create a flight plan for a prop aircraft than a jet ) Im pretty sure that many would be jet jockies stick with props because of the perceived complications. You missed "Horses for Courses" ....twice?! Just doesn't rock a bush pilots boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturi Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 didnt miss anything I just corrected the FMC time, I love bush flying to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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