OVERVIEW
The Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals is a flight control setup for desktop flight simulation.
ORDERING / PRICE (in US Dollars)
$137 – Purchased at a local Fry’s Electronics (price-matched) – Dec 2013.
Fry’s Electronics lists the unit for $150, but I searched online, and they matched Walmart’s listed online price at checkout.
SHIPPING / PACKAGING
This item was picked up locally so no shipping was involved.
Saitek packs their products in plastic bags, surrounded by custom molded cardboard liners, then inside a medium cardstock full-color printed outer box with some nice “see-through” graphics. The product was not damaged and all expected items were included.
DRIVERS / MANUALS
Device drivers are included on a CD. As with most retail gaming electronics, there was also plenty of self-advertisement included in the documentation package, selling some affiliate game or showing off another product.
I seldom use the drivers included with a retail product as they are typically already outdated. Instead, I downloaded the latest drivers directly from Saitek’s website.
The manual was simple, easy to read, and included graphical depictions of the device and usage. It references the Saitek website and the local US supplier MadCatz as well.
ASSEMBLY / INSTALLATION
The rudder pedals are completely assembled out of the box. You can choose to attach the two longer foot rests if you’d like.
The pedal’s USB cable simply connects to the PC.
INTEGRATION / OPERATION
After installing the Saitek drivers, they run in the background and start automatically with Windows. An icon of the Rudder Pedals will appear in the System Tray, which is also where you can configure custom profiles and button/axis settings specific to each application.
I chose to go the DirectInput route and let FSX detect the device and allow me to assign the rudder axis and individual toe brake functions within the simulator. There was no trouble completing this.
The pedals have a large rotating knob that adjusts the static control force resistance in the rudder axis. There is a very small area of little resistance or “dead zone” from center to about 10% left/right. It does not detract from the use of the rudders or toe brakes. And this is under my size 14 shoes.
The main platform the pedals rest does have mounting holes to mount them to a solid surface, but there is little non-skid material to keep them from sliding around on carpet or hard floors. Personally, I have them up against a wall, so they do not move much on me.
SUPPORT
I have not needed to contact the manufacturer or reseller with this product. It has performed as advertised.
SUMMARY
I purchased these Pro Flight Pedals along with the Pro Flight Yoke System. What a surprise I was in for! As I have never used my feet for more than fidgeting at my desk, much less to fly, even trying to taxi was a challenge. I got another test attempting coordinated turns in flight, but it was a blast training myself to do it right and worth the time.
Like the Yoke, the pedals do a fantastic job of giving you a true flight control interface and are as solidly constructed. Being under my feet, and constantly moved around depending on if I am flying or not, they have not skipped a beat and continue to work as promised.
The Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals are a superb addition to any desktop pilot and perform quite admirably. For these, I give the Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals a score of 10 out of 10.
UPDATE: I have since replaced these Saitek pedals with my Simujabs Rudder Pedals.
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