How to fly a helicopter with a joystick

[Theblackoutgow]

Hey guys,

I just bought a brand new mouse and joystick yesterday. The Logitech 3D Pro (Joystick) and the Razer Lachesis (mouse). Now the mouse works just fine, nice and sensitive. If you want it, then slow with 1 click of a button.

But, the only thing I have a question is on the joystick. As I am new, last night I went on a training server and I was test flying, and I was flying jet's just fine, but I learned it was hard for me to like try to fly straight at a target on the ground and shoot it effectively. I would normally focus so hard on shooting the target I would crash. I just want to know if that goes away as you play more of the game.

The second thing is, I can't fly a helicopter for **** with a joystick. If I try to set the controls like I push the joy stick forward and and it aims the nose down, and if I put it like the A/D keys are pull the joystick to the left and right and the twist of the joystick as roll (That's what really makes me crash). I crash so much! And I can't control it. I just want to know if this is natural as a beginner joystick flier and I will get much better.

Thanks.

[mangeface]

I too have the same problems using a joystick with helicopters. I prefer to use a joystick with jets, but stick to a mouse with the helicopters. For some reason I get some unrecoverable rocking motion while using a joystick to fly helos. I'd say use the twisting of your joystick as your yaw and use the rolling action on your joystick to bank the aircraft. But then again, I just use the roll/dive/climb features of flying, and just use A/D to yaw the aircraft so that i'm not twisting the stick and possibly throwing off my flight course.

[Theblackoutgow]

Yeah, that's what happens to me, I feel this is because when you say twist t to the right, it doesn't auto position back in the middle. It try to compensate for what you've just gone. I was looking at the Saitech x52 but I'm like I don't need ALL THAT, especially not for 100 dollars, I was already buying a 80 dollar mouse and almost bought a keyboard for another 80 dollars.

[mangeface]

Yeah, that's what happens to me, I feel this is because when you say twist t to the right, it doesn't auto position back in the middle. It try to compensate for what you've just gone. I was looking at the Saitech x52 but I'm like I don't need ALL THAT, especially not for 100 dollars, I was already buying a 80 dollar mouse and almost bought a keyboard for another 80 dollars.

I've got a Saitek AV8R-01 and it's great for flying jets. I only paid $30 for miine.

Aviator Joystick

[mongol-horde]

to make joystick work for helis you have to delete all other axis controls from heli controls except for joystick... and probably put joystick ones in primary axis. worked for me.

[Theblackoutgow]

Could you actually take a in game screen shot of your settings, I can't really comprehend what you meant.

[McCree]

I used to fly helos with joystick.

Had the movement bound so that if you twist the handle, helicopter would not roll but turn to that direction. To roll I just moved the joystick left or right.

It was actually quite handy, too bad the crappy logitech 3d extreme pro didn't last so long. The twist function or something kept on pulling to the left. It was really annoying when trying to take off with jet.

[Snazz]

I prefer to use a joystick with jets, but stick to a mouse with the helicopters.

Same, IMO Joysticks are great for jets but awful for helicopters compared to a mouse.

[TempesT]

Why the problem with joysticks on helicopters? I always have used a joystick, they allow much better control and smooth flights. Maybe you haven't calibrated it correctly or you need to reduce the sensitivity. Your controls are wrong as well, why would you set the roll to the twist of the joystick? The twist left and right should be your rudder controls A/D. The roll of the aircraft should be pushing the joystick left and right. I don't know why you would set that in reverse.

So its Throttle Up/Down is your throttle on the joystick.
Twist left and right is the rudder A/D.
Roll is pushing the joystick left and right.

[Snazz]

I always have used a joystick, they allow much better control and smooth flights.

It's the opposite for me, but it probably just depends on what you're used to.

[Jafar Ironclad]

I fly with a Saitek x52 FCS. I can handle jets with above-average competency and helicopters with extreme precision.

Throttle: Throttle, obviously
Joystick forward and back: Pitch
Joystick left and right: Roll left and right. This allows me to easily manage my helicopter's stability without repetitive wrist corrections.
Joystick twist: Steer(Rudder) left and right.

I have my buttons set up for PR so I never have to touch the keyboard for anything except the occasional teamchat message when I'm flying, and so that I can use the throttle HAT to look left (7), right (9), restore to front (1), and open map (m). I have primary fire as trigger, secondary fire as safety-paneled fire button, flares as fire B, cycle weapon as fire C, and cycle view as fire D (for checking my six). Pinky switch for Afterburner.

I use the throttle fire button D for mumble chat, and button E for squad chat (1st mode), squad leader chat (mumble, 2nd mode), and commander chat (3rd mode), with the mode toggle achieved with the mode switch on the right part of the stick.

[Theblackoutgow]

Maybe it is the sensitivity, because I have it on 3 but still behaves violently.