Do I really need a yoke, throttle and pedals for 737/320?

Maybe a keyboard/mouse combo + TrackIR will be enough?

 

I want to use flight simulator only to get better with radio communications and to get a basic visualisation of 737/320 cockpit models.

 

Do I really need to buy a Saitek Yoke (+joystick for 320) and pedals for this? I'm on a budget and not interested to invest a ton into a flight sim.

I think its better to invest in an inexpensive joystick like the Logitech Extreme 3D pro. These things are built tough, last long (mine's run for 4+ years without any problems) and will vastly improve your experience.

FS is good enough for radio comms but some ATC protocols like holding patterns, speed restrictions, SIDs/STARs etc. are not included. Sometimes it can't even give decent vectors...maybe a VATSIM account will be more useful for you in my opinion.

Saitek equipment are the next step up in terms of hardware. I think you can forget about TrackIR for now. The joystick hat switch will be adequate for most of your requirements for now.

It depends on how in depth in FS you want to get. If you want to fly just default aircraft then you can getaway with just a joystick. I use to own the Extreme 3D Pro (currently X52) and found it to be a good buy for the price. As you said in your post you wanted to get better with radio communications, so I'm assuming you want to fly on VATSIM if so default FS will not cut it. Payware aircraft with FMC's,headset to communicate with atc, and at least a cheep joystick are what I would suggest. TrackIR is a nice device to have, but no necessary, you could always buy a copy of EZDock much cheaper.

I have tried to fly FSX without a joystick, and it's very frustrating... so much so that I quit flying until I got a suitable control setup.

 

Yes, it can be done with keyboard and mouse, but saying you just want to practice radio communications and study B737 cockpit models without being able to actually fly the airplane smoothly and effortlessly is like saying you just want to join the traffic around Trafalgar Square to study the finger gestures of the angry drivers because you don't have a steering wheel in your car. :p

 

Also, adding an expensive, high-end accessory like TrackIR to a simulator with no joystick is like buyng a killer stereo system for your steering-wheel-free car in the above scenario- just total backward prioritizing. You can buy a nice joystick with throttle brand new for under $50- about a third of the price of TrackIR. Here is one example.

 

You can easily do without rudder pedals- FSX has an Autorudder function to handle that, and you can also use a non-rudder joystick to steer on the ground with autorudder enabled. Also, many joysticks have a twist-for-rudder capability. Likewise, you can get by perfectly well without a throttle accessory- you will have adequate throttle control using F1-F4 on your keyboard.

 

But you REALLY should consider an inexpensive joystick.

It depends on how serious you are into the sim. I am a serious flight simmer, and I would spend that kind of money on the yokes, pedals, throttles, and a new desktop.

Yup, a joystick, with twist grip, is an essential part of simming.

Depends how far you would like to go.. Having a yoke & pedals is great to have, depending on the immersion factor you are looking for. Using the correct controls for the aircraft does help with the immersion factor.. Flying a Cessna with a joystick?

By the way, have a look at the CH-Pruducts as well. I've been using their yoke & pedals for about 6 years now. There is a huge debate as what is better, CH-Products or Saitek. (lol, Boeing or Airbus?)

 

There is a lot of very decent freeware 737's out there as well. And your sim? FS2004, FSX, P3D? For radio work, they are all suitable, apart from the eye-candy. We are still using FS2004 at our VA club where we mentor 60 kids & help them get their VPPL's. (virtual PPL).

P3D.

 

Ok, I will get Logitech 3D and then I'll bother with Saitek yoke & pedals.

 

Regarding radio, I heard a lot of good reviews about PilotEdge, so I'm going to stick with it.

 

thanks everyone

One more question: do I need two throttles to fly PMDG model or 1 that comes in Saitek yoke box will be enough?

 

thanks!

One more question: do I need two throttles to fly PMDG model or 1 that comes in Saitek yoke box will be enough?

 

thanks!

 

The throttle quadrant of a 737 has 4 levers, spoilers, flaps, two throttles (OK, in reality there are 8, I left out reversers and fuel levers). The Saitek quadrant has only three (its basic configuration is for single engine props). If you want to do emergencies like 'engine out after V1', you will need those two throttles like in RW. That leaves only one lever on the Saitek for either spoilers or flaps. I would stay away from Saitek. Search this forum and you will find a recent post why. CH yoke is better, and the CH TQ has 6 levers...

That depends on which PMDG aircraft type you want to virtual fly (vly). The Saitek TQ has 3 levers which you can use to handle anything from a small cessna to a 4 engine jumbo...i guess if you don't want to simulate engine out operations or other situations requiring differential thrust then you can map a single lever as a throttle axis for all engines thus freeing up the other two for things like flaps and spoilers. For me the TQ that came with my yoke system worked really good for quite some time till i decided to learn realistic engine out operations in light piston twins after which i saved up enough to get a second TQ.