Reading a post this morning about one stick or another, wherein the writer expresses the oft-repeated statement that the new stick "seriously transforms the whole experience."
I can't say that I believe or agree with such nonsense, for a couple of reasons.
First, I flew with Saitek HOTAS for many years, from X45 to X52 to X55. Aside from the necessity to replace and upgrade every few years, I was very happy with the brand and performance. This past occasion when my throttle crapped out, I intended to upgrade to X56. For reasons for which everyone has a theory, HOTAS had become very hard to find at that point. I literally could not find a Saitek X55 (discontinued) or X56 HOTAS to order anywhere online. So I broke down and ponied up the cash for Warthog throttle unit. As it turns out, I already had a Warthog stick that I received as a gift (thanks @Badger). I had been told, and frequently read, 'You'll be glad you did! It's entirely different and much better!'
Yeah, it's different. It's a lot more metal and less plastic. But is it a transformative experience? I think not. Does it make me a better pilot? Absolutely not.
I broke down, also, and got the Hornet grip for the Warthog base. Cool because it is a 1:1 replica of a real Hornet stick. But, again, a 'transformative experience'? Nope. It's just cool.
I don't regret having a Warthog HOTAS rig. It's just not the amazing upgrade from the Saitek HOTAS that I was promised. I liked the X55. A lot. You can bitch about reliability all day long, but I see plenty of gripes about Warthog boards crapping out, the stick 'stiction' (which I totally feel), and buttons/switches crapping out. The difference is, I expected to replace/upgrade the Saitek every few years, and kinda looked forward to it. It was an affordable expense for a brand new shiny HOTAS. The Warthog has never been improved or upgraded, and will NOT be an affordable cost to replace.
Secondly, I understand the psychology a bit. (No joke, I really do have a psychology degree.) There is a concept about perceived value in psychology, in that people generally equate how 'good' a thing is to how much it costs, especially if they paid the cost. The iconic example is Grey Goose vodka... sales were dismal until they changed one simple thing: they tripled the price. Sales shot up and now they are a major brand worldwide. No change in anything at all except the price. People believed it was better vodka because it cost more, and when they paid more, they were totally convinced that drinking it was a better vodka drinking experience.
Virpil? VKB? Winwing? I don't begrudge anyone for investing in that gear, especially for the coolness factor. But I think it's foolhardy to think or express that it lets you fly with greater precision or accuracy, or makes you a better pilot, though very easy to convince oneself that that is the case. My X55 was just as "precise" and "accurate" as my Warthog, and I would wager with any other HOTAS.
I'm not trying to start a flame war or diminish anyone's love for his particular HOTAS. But I have always said, 'fly with what works for you!' And take it with a grain of salt when anyone tries to tell you that their particular choice is a "transformative experience."
HOTAS
Re: HOTAS
This is good food for thought. I’m currently running an X56 HOTAS, and sometimes I think it to be a limiting factor for me in terms of precision. Not so much the stick, but the throttle. In the rational part of my brain, I know it’s not much different than any other computer accessory, but subjectively I think, “if I only had a higher quality throttle, I could hold formations better, actually do AAR, save fuel by preventing inadvertent jumps to afterburner, etc”. I know it’s not really true, which is why an upgrade is not super high on my priority list for upgrades I want. (RTX 3080 *cough*)
That said, when the X56 does wear out, I do intend to upgrade to a higher end setup for nothing else the form factor of as realistic controls as I can mange.
That said, when the X56 does wear out, I do intend to upgrade to a higher end setup for nothing else the form factor of as realistic controls as I can mange.
