So you want to fly. — Pre-flight checklist for the new simmer.

Which sim should you start with?

There are four flight sims worth considering in 2026, and they target different buyers. Pick the one that matches what you want to fly — not the one with the prettiest screenshots.

MSFS 2024 is the right starting point for almost everyone. Worldwide scenery, the most aircraft variety (Cessna 152 to A320 to Cirrus Vision Jet), best-in-class weather, the gentlest learning curve. It covers GA, airliners, gliders, helicopters and a sprinkle of combat-adjacent. Default aircraft are flyable from minute one.

X-Plane 12 wins on flight model accuracy. Real pilots transitioning to sim often prefer it. The Toliss A321 and Hot Start CL650 are widely considered the most realistic study-level airliners in any sim. UI is dated and learning curve is steeper.

DCS World is a different beast. The base game is free but useful aircraft cost R900-R1,800 each, and each requires 20-40 hours of study to fly competently. The Apache, F/A-18 and F-16 are extraordinary modules, but DCS as a first sim destroys most beginners' enthusiasm.

Entry-level joysticks — what actually works

Don't buy the R300 Logitech 3D joystick from a few years back. Modern sims expose every flaw of cheap potentiometer-based sticks — dead zones, drift, stiction on small inputs. The minimum viable entry is two sticks, both around R900-R1,500.

Logitech Extreme 3D Pro (~R900) — the budget honest pick. Twist-rudder, throttle slider, 12 buttons + 8-way hat. Decent for the first 30 hours. Will drift after a year or two of heavy use.

Thrustmaster T.16000M (~R1,500) — the right entry point. Hall-effect sensors mean no drift, ever. 16 buttons, twist rudder, throttle slider. Build quality is honest plastic but the sensors are excellent. This is the stick most experienced simmers recommend to beginners.

Honeycomb Alpha Yoke (~R6,500) — yoke instead of stick, for those who want to fly Cessnas and airliners specifically. Far more realistic for GA aircraft. Skip if you want jets or helicopters.

HOTAS — what it actually means

HOTAS stands for Hands On Throttle And Stick. It means your stick and throttle are separate devices, so each hand stays on its control through every phase of flight. You change power without taking a hand off the stick. This matters when:

• Flying multi-engine aircraft (each engine needs independent throttle).
• Flying fast jets where mixture, prop, throttle and weapons selection are constantly tweaked.
• Combat flying where you can't take a hand off the stick during a manoeuvre.
• Helicopter flying (collective is your throttle).

The right HOTAS entry is the Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS Flight Pack (~R3,500-R4,500) which bundles the T.16000M stick + TWCS throttle. Both hall-effect, both excellent for the price, both well-supported in every sim. This is the sensible R3,500 HOTAS investment.

The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X (~R2,500) is an older budget HOTAS — fine but uses pot-based sensors and feels cheap once you've handled the FCS Flight Pack. Skip if you can afford to.

Logitech G X56 H.O.T.A.S. (~R5,500) sits in the middle tier — more buttons, more axes than the Thrustmaster FCS, decent build, but the springs and sensors are a half-step below the Virpil/VKB enthusiast tier.

Above this is the enthusiast tier: Virpil Mongoose T-50CM3 stick (R8k+), VKB Gladiator NXT (R4k), Winwing Orion 2 (R6k+). All hall-effect, all near-perfect feel, all require import via specialty resellers. Worth it after 200+ hours; nonsense before that.

Rudder pedals — the upgrade most simmers underrate

If you ask experienced simmers what made the biggest single difference to immersion, the most common answer is rudder pedals — not the throttle, not VR, not a fancier stick. Real aircraft are flown with feet on rudder. Twist-stick rudder works for the first 10-20 hours, then becomes the thing limiting your skill.

Why pedals matter: crosswind landings stop being a fight. Taxiing realistic aircraft (with castoring nosewheels or tail draggers) becomes possible. Helicopters become flyable. Combat aircraft rudder coordination during high-G turns becomes natural.

The Thrustmaster TFRP is the right first pedal set. Plastic build, pot-based sensors, but completely usable and immersive. Upgrade to MFG or VKB only when you really know why.

The upgrade ladder — stage by stage

Stage 1: R1.5k entry

• Thrustmaster T.16000M stick.
• MSFS 2024 on Steam.
• Default Cessna 152, default tutorials, default sensitivity curves.
• Goal: fly a circuit at FACT (Cape Town) without crashing.

Stage 2: R5k full HOTAS

• Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS Flight Pack (stick + throttle).
• Or Logitech G X56.
• Goal: fly the Cirrus SR22 or Diamond DA62 across the country.

Stage 3: R10k full setup

• HOTAS + Thrustmaster TFRP rudder pedals.
• Larger monitor (32" 1440p or ultrawide).
• Goal: fly the Just Flight PA-28 or A320 with full procedures.

Stage 4: R15k-R30k enthusiast

• VKB Gladiator NXT or Virpil Mongoose stick.
• Winwing throttle or Honeycomb Bravo throttle quadrant.
• Meta Quest 3 VR headset.
• Decent racing/sim seat.
• Goal: study-level PMDG 737 or DCS F/A-18 missions.

Stage 5: R50k+ home cockpit

• Triple monitor setup or Pimax Crystal.
• Cockpit-style frame (Volair Sim, Next Level Racing).
• Custom panels (FCU, MCP, radio stack).
• Motion seat (D-BOX 2HP).
• Goal: simulate full airline procedures with realistic immersion.

Monitor vs VR — both, but in order

VR transforms flight sim more than any other genre. The sense of scale (a 747 cockpit becomes overwhelming), the head-tracking for visual flight reference, the dogfighting situational awareness — none of it is matched by any monitor setup.

But not first. Reading flight manuals, checklists, charts and tutorials is brutal in VR. You can't see your keyboard. Setting up the sim is slow. Learning is harder.

The right path: learn on a flat screen until you can fly a circuit without thinking, then add VR for immersion. Most simmers who quit VR did so because they bought it before they could fly.

SA flying community — who to fly with

The single best thing you can do as a new SA simmer is join one of the local communities. Multiplayer flying transforms the experience and accelerates learning faster than any tutorial.

MSFS South Africa (Facebook) — 12,000+ members, monthly group flies along the Garden Route, Drakensberg, Kruger Park. Beginner-friendly. Tutorials and event announcements pinned weekly.

South African Virtual Air Force (SAVAF, Discord) — DCS combat community. Realistic training squads, multi-week mission campaigns. Welcoming to beginners but expects effort.

VATSIM Africa — online ATC for civilian sims (MSFS, X-Plane, P3D). FACT (Cape Town), FAOR (Joburg), FAKN (Durban) are regularly staffed during peak hours. Talking to real controllers on first solo is intimidating but transformational.

Helisimmer SA — small but active helicopter sim community. Honest mentorship for new R44/R66 simmers.

Local YouTube creators: ATC Joey, Squirrel and CaptSim have the best beginner tutorial channels. The MSFS in-game Discovery Flights at FACT (Cape Town), FAOR (Joburg) and Victoria Falls are excellent first lessons.

Key takeaways

1. Start with MSFS 2024 + Thrustmaster T.16000M. Total R2,500 entry. Fly Cessna 152 tutorials first.
2. Don't start with DCS World — its learning curve will kill your enthusiasm. Add it as a second sim.
3. Buy rudder pedals before HOTAS throttle. Pedals deliver bigger immersion gains for most beginners.
4. VR transforms the sim but only after you can fly a circuit confidently on a flat screen.
5. Join MSFS South Africa Facebook group and VATSIM Africa on day one — community accelerates everything.

Frequently asked questions

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