A flight sim setup is built around how you fly. Airliners and light aircraft use a yoke; fighters, helicopters and space sims use a stick and throttle (HOTAS); Airbus aircraft use a side stick. Each one mounts differently, so start there.
Three ways to fly, three mounts
| Control | Aircraft | How it mounts |
|---|---|---|
| Yoke | Light aircraft, Boeing airliners | A flat, rigid deck in front of you, with a thick front edge for clamps |
| HOTAS (stick + throttle) | Fighters, helicopters, space | Two adjustable side mounts, or a center stick between the knees |
| Side stick | Airbus | A low side mount, like an armrest |
Rudder pedals
Rudder pedals sit on a flat tray where a racing rig has its pedal deck. A rigid tray matters as much as in racing: pedals that slide ruin precise taxiing and crosswind landings.
The seat
Flights are long. A comfortable, slightly reclined seat beats a racing bucket here.
One rig for racing and flying
An aluminum profile cockpit can do both: the wheel deck, HOTAS and yoke mounts and the rudder pedals all bolt to the same T-slot chassis. Our GT-80 takes HOTAS and yoke mounts on its T-slot profile.
Screens
Flight sims love width: an ultrawide or triple screens, or VR. Set the field of view with the FOV calculator.
Sources: MOZA and PilotMall flight control guides; Sim-Lab flight mount compatibility lists.