Walking before I fly

[MCO]

I have always been interested in military flight, I spent my early life right near Patterson AFB. I want to start flight simming, but I don't know where to start. I heard of DCS:A10C and I would love to just jump in, but I have limited experience in X-Plane (flying small civilian aircraft), no equipment, and an elementary knowledge of aviation and aircraft.

 

Is there anything I should read to gain a better knowledge of how aircraft function and how to operate them?

 

Are there any sims I should start off with, or can I (with the appropriate knowledge) go right into DCS?

 

What is a good mid-price joystick?

 

Thank you

Edited November 17, 2010 by MCO

[EtherealN]

If you have flown X-Plane (albeit for limited time) you should be fine with starting to learn how to fly DCS:A-10C. There's no real shortcut into it anyway - I'm a pilot IRL (though not for military planes) and I did cause a couple accidents during my first flights in DCS:A-10C too. ;) (Most specifically I locked up my wheelbrakes and skidded all over the runway - the crew chief would have killed me for all the extra work. :P )

 

But difficulty is something you can change in the settings anyhow to make various systems less complex, or even to decrease fidelity in the flight model to make it easier to fly.

 

As for good mid-price sticks, I'd personally recommend an X-52 (non-pro). They are rediculously cheap for what they give you. If you are left-handed a Saitek Cyborg might be good as well, but it does suffer from a slight shortage of hat switches and such.

 

Also note that DCS:A-10C is currently in beta-stage, so it is NOT a finished product yet. You can however gain access to a beta release through pre-order on digitalcombatsimulator.com.

 

You can also look into Flaming Cliffs 2. If you are a US resident you should be able to find a "Lock On Platinum" pack that has both Lock On and the FC2 expansion. Otherwise you can order Lock On and FC2 through lockon.co.uk. (Note that FC2 does require the original Lock On.)

Edited November 17, 2010 by EtherealN

[MCO]

Excellent, I'll look into the X-52. I really appreciate the response, thanks for the advice, it's neat to hear from a pilot.

 

I can't really fork out the money for ArmA 2 DLC, DCSBS, and DCSW, so I was thinking I'd just pre-order DCSW to get a longer life out of the purchase.