Thrustmaster has officially licensed the TCA yoke pack from Boeing and set sail for more; it may not be FAA-approved, but it is no surprise that Boeing is involved. Not only is the yoke a faithful reproduction of a passenger yoke, but it also has fine details and size. And while there are a few features that are appreciated given the asking price, it lives up to its reputation on many fronts.

The yoke intuitively swings back and forth as it pitches up and down, touting the same tilt and swing movements one would expect from an actual Boeing aircraft. It is a much more pleasant experience than the push-pull motion found in many yokes on the market, even on high-end machines. When the control column is pulled, one can almost feel the G-forces.

It is also smooth, butter-smooth action that feels like you are one with the plane, not like you are fighting it.

The obvious downside to choosing such a yoke is the lack of Z-rotation that you get with many of the best joysticks, but this is easily worked around with the trigger button. Therefore, while it is not possible to map the gun to the trigger, the TCA yoke is designed for long-distance flight, as opposed to games involving intense dogfight action; space-scale games requiring 3D movement, or ground-flying shooters such as "Ace Combat 7" games, it is not the most suitable operating solution.

It is important to note that when mapping the rudder to the trigger of the TCA yoke, there is no pressure sensitivity. This means that it can be hit or miss if not calibrated correctly. Still, with a little tinkering in your preferred game, you may be able to gain greater control instead of an immediate 180-degree spin.

The other feature on the yoke that is particularly nice is the right thumb hat. Being an analog stick, it can be mapped more freely. Two additional axes have been added at the bottom of the yoke, below the control column, to increase flexibility.

While there are many buttons and triggers, the included thruster quadrant is more than adequate: three levers, five discreet buttons, and an MCP switch for changing modes, with an integrated selection dial that also serves as an additional button. Thanks to these features, the exterior is simple, yet more than adequate.

Although there are no detent latches like those found on actual aircraft throttle arms, the operation of each lever is smooth and has a reasonable amount of feedback. Each lever is modular, with knobs that can be interchanged at will. This is a nice feature for left-handers, and there are also dedicated knobs labeled "flap" and "speed brake," depending on how you want to map them. There is also a button next to the main slot knob for easy thumb access.

My main complaint is that the reverse thrust levers on the back of the two throttle arms do not work on axis. While this sounds like a great addition in theory, at least in Microsoft Flight Simulator, these are picked up as button inputs and cannot be confirmed until pressed. This causes mapping problems and does not work as expected.

The yoke itself can be simply slid onto the edge of the desk and no drilling is required. The great thing is that no matter how closely you mount the throttle quadrant, the yoke will not snag. Also, the sunken design feels like an actual cockpit, although some may find the yoke a bit low.

Not only are there detailed instructions on how to set up the whole thing, including control mapping charts and diagrams, but there are even little instructions for adjusting the yoke tension with the included springs. This part requires a bit of fiddling around, but it's not too scary.

Interchangeability with the Xbox Series X/S is great, but the Xbox brand logo is a bit of a departure from the authentic look. It would be better if the switches could be optionally marked X, Y, A, and B, although this is something that is often overlooked

. Certainly, a pressure sensitivity on the trigger would have been nice, and the oddness of the reverse thrust lever is not the most intuitive, but other than that, there is little that is incongruous about this yoke. Most of the actual pilots I have reviewed this yoke with have been impressed with how accurate the design is compared to the real thing. [However, the Thrustmaster TCA Yoke Pack Boeing Edition offers a piloting experience that is as close as possible to a consumer-level flight sim yoke. And with Thrustmaster's exceptional manufacturing quality, it should last longer than a day's trip in the stratosphere.