Features & Specifications
Saitek is going up against the CH Products in the serious flight simulation product category with the Pro Flight Products. The Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant that we are looking at today has three axis levers that can be used to control things like flaps, fuel mixture or throttle. The design of the Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant allows you to mount it in front of or on top of your desk and you can mount it on pilot of co-pilot side.

Saitek included additional quadrant lever heads so you can customize the look of the levers to your liking. You get a pair of blue heads, a pair of red heads, and three black heads total. Saitek also includes one long handle that converts all three levers into a single moving unit. Under the levers are three 2-way rocker switches that allow adding of controls to the Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant for your flight. The quadrant is programmable via Saitek's SST programming software and you can save program profiles within the software. The Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant is compatible with Windows XP, XP64, and Vista.

Configuration & Use
Configuring the Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant for use in Flight Simulator X was easy to do. I opted to map throttle and flaps for a single engine plane to the quadrant. It was easy to map the controls in game and the additional realism is impressive. It’s nice to have real levers that you can press forward and back while taking off and landing rather than trying to use knobs or keys on the keyboard.

The Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant offers nice resistance that is smooth and linear as the levers are moved through their range. The heads for the levers are easy to change and each has a different design making them easy to differentiate by feel without actually having to look at them. You can use the Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant with a Windows PC without needing to add any other Saitek controllers. The quadrant connects to your PC via USB.

Saitek uses their familiar clamp system to secure the Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant to your desk. A large plastic screw tightens and keeps the Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant in place with resistance. I found that the clamp held securely enough to keep the quadrant in place without issues during my testing with normal force, but if you get too excited in an emergency you can displace the quadrant. Below the 0% setting on the levers is an indent for idle position. Overall, the Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant is a quality flight simulation controller that serious flight sim fans will want to add to their cockpit. Other than the clamp slipping during heavy use, the only other issue I had was the USB cable was too short for my setup. If your desk is smaller and your computer closer to the Pro Flight Quadrant, this may not affect you.