Your first flight: set up the stick in two minutes

1. Tell HeavyPro which axes are yours

Open the Setup tab.

1. Press Detect next to Pitch and pull the stick fully back.
2. Press Detect next to Roll and roll fully right.
3. Have rudder pedals? Do the same for yaw, so HeavyPro shapes them too.
4. Pedals with toe brakes? Set up heavy toe brakes while you are here.

2. Decide how your stick reaches the sim

The first time, HeavyPro offers to become your stick's only path (with MSFS closed):

• Yes (recommended): HeavyPro clears only the stick and rudder axes in your MSFS controls (buttons stay, a backup is kept), uses its tuned REAL1 feel for every aircraft and starts with Windows in the tray. Even aircraft that read the stick themselves, like the BlueBird 757, the Aerosoft A330/A340 and the MD-11, get the feel.
• No: your MSFS bindings stay, and HeavyPro picks a route per aircraft. Either way, Routes explained tells you what happens.

Important: with HeavyPro as the only path, the stick does nothing in MSFS while HeavyPro is closed. That is why HeavyPro warns you before it really quits. Restore MSFS bindings in Setup undoes it at any time.

3. Load a flight and read the badge

The badge in HeavyPro's header tells you what is happening. SHAPING in green means it works. What the badges mean explains the others.

4. Fly

Taxi out and feel how light the controls are at low speed. Line up, push the throttles, and feel the column firm up as the airspeed builds. Rotate gently: the nose comes up with real inertia instead of jumping.

Tip: close the window and HeavyPro keeps working from the tray. Right-click its icon to open it again or quit.