Personally, I'm a big fan of joysticks. I fly/have flown using various quality joysticks over the years in many games. It started way back with Aces Over The Pacific, then TIE Fighter, and through the various Xwing titles. I got rid of the sticks for years as I played no titles where flying (other than rocket jumping) was an option. A few years ago I got into BF2 simply because I was intrigued by the idea of flying an attack helicopter in a combined arms scenario. I promptly pulled out my old MS Sidewinder Pro and I've been addicted to flight in games since (BF2 account : paleocentric ). I fly in  BF, IL2, LOMAC, XPlane,FS2004, and of course a few beautifully crafted BF engine conversions like First Strike. I would in no way fault the beloved mouse+keyboard combination for most FPS action. Having said that, I play FPS titles almost exclusively for the immersion factor. That sense of looking through your digital avatars' eyes and fundamentally acting upon the game world in a natural, intuitive manner. For me, joysticks in flying titles are perhaps not essential, but they are greatly preferred. If I had a limitless budget I'm one of those types that would construct fake cockpits for the games I play. Anything that helps suspend disbelief and get you in the mood. Fortunately, a nice joystick is typically less than the price of a premium game when new. I respect you who fly with mice, but really, you're missing a subtle and rewarding level of immersion by not using a stick. Drop $30 or so on a Logitech Extreme 3DPro, or a Saitek Evo. Give it a week to adjust and you'll probably love finding excuses to fly.