My experience flying Strike Fighters 2 with a joystick

[pilot1600]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to share a bit of my experience flying Strike Fighters 2 using a joystick instead of keyboard and mouse.

Flying with a joystick feels much more natural and immersive. Aircraft control is smoother, especially during takeoff, landing, and air-to-air maneuvering. Small pitch and roll inputs are easier to manage, which makes flying jets feel more realistic and controlled.

Another big advantage is precision. Using a joystick helps a lot with maintaining stable flight, lining up for approaches, and handling dogfights without overcorrecting. It also makes long flights more comfortable and enjoyable.

Overall, using a joystick has greatly improved my experience in SF2. It adds immersion, better control, and makes flying feel closer to how a real aircraft should handle.

Thanks for reading, and happy flying

 

[+Flanker562]

When I started with DID's EF2000 back in the day, and up until Su-27 Flanker, I did keyboard too, and admittedly didn't get the full range of flying that you get with a stick. With Flanker 2.51 I bought a stick, and my skill improved and have had fun since then, so it's not a bad idea because you can have a better experience with a stick, rather than without, etc.

[+daddyairplanes]

of course a joystick will add immersion to any flight sim series

sadly, 75% of my flights are checking stuff in game (still needed now and again even with lodviewer) and for that i just use the keyboard commands.

that said, if Santa dont bring me a Warthog HOTAS, im defineatly getting one outta tax returns 

[Goob113870]

DUH! 

[+GKABS]

On 12/20/2025 at 10:14 PM, pilot1600 said:

Overall, using a joystick has greatly improved my experience in SF2. It adds immersion, better control, and makes flying feel closer to how a real aircraft should handle.

Your absolutely correct 

[Goob113870]

17 minutes ago, GKABS said:

Your absolutely correct 

[Benetnasch]

Joystick is very hard boy

[Goob113870]

14 minutes ago, Benetnasch said:

Joystick is very hard boy

[Arrow]

On 12/20/2025 at 11:14 AM, pilot1600 said:

...I just wanted to share a bit of my experience flying Strike Fighters 2 using a joystick instead of keyboard and mouse...

I haven't used a keyboard+mouse since MS Flight Simulator 5, but I'm glad to hear you're enjoying a new level of immersion with one.
Once in a while I buy a space simulator for which using a joystick is more pain than gain. I bought a programmable gaming keypad for those, so I could add some atmoshpere and immerision to the  experience.  Plus the keys light up with cool, custom colors, so it looks like a device that'd be at home in some far future cockpit. I have no shame for my level of geekiness. 

Edited yesterday at 07:48 PM by Arrow