How do I set up and save VelocityOne Flightdeck profiles?

To set up and save Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightdeck profiles on PC, install Flight Hangar, update and verify both units, then create separate named simulator presets for the stick and throttle. Flight Hangar stores hardware-side settings; Microsoft Flight Simulator, DCS, X-Plane and other PC simulators save their own bindings separately.

What software and profile layers does Flightdeck use on PC?

VelocityOne Flightdeck requires Turtle Beach Flight Hangar for firmware, calibration and supported hardware-side settings, but Flight Hangar does not save your aircraft controls inside the simulator.

The stick and throttle appear as separate controller entries. Configuring both but saving or selecting a preset for only one is one of the most common causes of a supposedly lost Flightdeck profile.

Setting up VelocityOne Flightdeck for the first time

The safest first-time setup is to verify the hardware before creating any simulator bindings.

1. Install Flight Hangar and finish firmware updates. Connect both Flightdeck units and do not disconnect them during an update. Restart Flight Hangar after an update and confirm that it recognises the stick and throttle.

2. Use stable USB connections. During setup, connect the units directly to the PC where practical. Keep using the same ports afterwards because changing ports or hubs can make Windows create a different USB device instance.

3. Test both controller entries in Windows. Press Windows-R, enter joy.cpl, and inspect each Flightdeck device. Move every axis through its full range and test the hats, rotaries and buttons. If an input is missing or stuck here, rebuilding the simulator preset will not fix it.

4. Calibrate through the supported Flightdeck procedure. Use Flight Hangar or the hardware calibration process provided for the device. Windows calibration is better reserved for diagnosis; our Windows controller detection and calibration guide explains how to identify range and centre problems without adding conflicting calibration layers.

5. Create the hardware-side profile. Select the required mode and configure only the Flight Hangar settings you need. Use the displayed save, apply or synchronise command; its wording can vary with the installed software and firmware.

6. Create separate simulator presets. Make one named preset for the stick and another for the throttle. Names such as GA - Flightdeck Stick and GA - Flightdeck Throttle make it obvious which pair should be active.

7. Remove automatic duplicate bindings. Check pedals, gamepads and other controllers for unwanted pitch, roll, rudder, brake or throttle assignments. If pedals provide rudder control, clear the Flightdeck twist-rudder assignment unless both are deliberately required.

8. Use axis commands for analogue controls. Bind aileron, elevator, rudder and throttle axes rather than digital commands such as pitch up or increase throttle. Do not assign one lever to both a combined throttle axis and an individual engine axis.

9. Save and test after a restart. Apply the Flight Hangar profile and both simulator presets, close the applications normally, then relaunch them. Confirm the selected profile names before loading a simple default aircraft.

How do I save Flightdeck profiles in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020?

MSFS 2020 stores a separate controls preset against each detected Flightdeck device, so the stick and throttle must be selected, named and saved independently.

1. Connect Flightdeck before launching the simulator. Open Options, then Controls Options.

2. Select the Flightdeck stick. Choose the controller tile representing the stick, not the keyboard, mouse or throttle.

3. Create a named stick preset. Open the preset manager and duplicate a usable default or create a new preset. Give it a clear name such as Flightdeck GA Stick.

4. Assign and check the controls. Bind the flight axes and buttons, then search the assigned controls for conflicts. Check axis direction and use only enough deadzone to stop genuine centre noise.

5. Use Apply & Save. Confirm that the new preset name remains visible for the stick.

6. Repeat for the throttle. Select the separate throttle device, create a second named preset, assign its axes and buttons, and use Apply & Save again.

7. Restart MSFS 2020. Return to Controls Options and inspect both device tiles. If either has reverted to a default preset, reselect the named preset and apply it before flying.

For switching between general-aviation, airliner and other layouts without overwriting a working setup, see our guide to creating and changing MSFS 2020 controller presets.

How do I save Flightdeck profiles in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?

MSFS 2024 also treats the stick and throttle as separate devices, but its Controls interface and preset categories differ from MSFS 2020.

1. Open Settings and Controls. Connect both units before starting MSFS 2024, then open the Controls screen from the main settings area.

2. Select the Flightdeck stick device. Verify the device name rather than editing whichever controller was selected automatically.

3. Create or duplicate a stick preset. Use the preset management control shown for that device, assign a recognisable name and make it active.

4. Map the relevant control categories. Put aircraft axes and cockpit commands in the aircraft controls section. Add views or simulator-wide functions under the appropriate general controls category rather than assuming one category contains every binding.

5. Apply or save the stick preset. Use the on-screen confirmation control and check that the named preset remains selected.

6. Repeat for the throttle device. Create a separately named throttle preset, assign throttle and secondary controls, then apply it.

7. Check the aircraft and active preset pair. Some assignments are aircraft-specific. Load the intended aircraft, return to Controls if necessary and verify that both Flightdeck presets are still selected.

8. Restart and verify. Reopen MSFS 2024 and inspect both devices before changing any bindings. A preset that exists but is not selected has not been deleted.

Our detailed MSFS 2024 binding and preset procedure covers the controls categories, duplicate inputs and separate device presets in greater depth.

How do I create a Turtle Beach Flightdeck DCS profile?

A Turtle Beach Flightdeck DCS profile must be configured for each aircraft module and each controller column; bindings created for one module do not automatically populate another.

1. Select the correct aircraft module. Open DCS Controls and choose the actual aircraft from the module list. Do not configure only the general interface or a different variant and expect those commands to appear in the required cockpit.

2. Identify the stick and throttle columns. DCS displays each physical controller in its own column. Confirm which column responds before clearing or assigning anything.

3. Inspect Axis Commands first. DCS can automatically assign pitch, roll, rudder and throttle axes to several connected devices. Clear unwanted assignments, especially rudder on the stick when pedals are used and pitch or roll on a throttle mini-stick.

4. Assign the principal axes. Bind pitch, roll, rudder and the appropriate throttle commands. Use Axis Tune to check direction, saturation, deadzone and curvature, but avoid adding a strong curve in both Flight Hangar and DCS.

5. Assign module-specific buttons. Map trim, brakes, weapon release, sensor controls, countermeasures and other commands from the selected module's own list. Names and available commands differ between aircraft.

6. Save by closing the Controls screen normally. Confirm the changes with the displayed confirmation control rather than force-closing DCS. DCS stores changed assignments as .diff.lua files under the Windows Saved Games input folders.

7. Repeat for every required module. A profile for one fighter, helicopter or training aircraft is not a universal DCS binding set.

How do I back up and restore DCS Flightdeck bindings?

Close DCS, then back up the complete %USERPROFILE%\Saved Games\DCS\Config\Input\ folder. An installation that retains the older branch naming may use DCS.openbeta instead of DCS. Steam and standalone DCS installations normally keep user bindings under Saved Games rather than inside the simulator installation directory.

The folders below Input are organised by aircraft module and controller category. Preserve that structure and the original .diff.lua files. To restore, copy back the matching module folder while DCS is closed, or use DCS's profile-loading control for the correct controller column and matching module.

Do not treat one backed-up file as portable across every module or controller. DCS files can be tied to the aircraft command set and the Windows device identity. If a USB change gives Flightdeck a new device identifier, the safer approach is to load the old stick or throttle file into the corresponding new column and inspect every assignment.

How should I configure Flightdeck in X-Plane?

X-Plane should be calibrated first, then given a named joystick profile with the correct aircraft association.

1. Open Settings and Joystick. Confirm that X-Plane detects both Flightdeck units and calibrate their full axis ranges when prompted.

2. Assign each axis deliberately. Check pitch, roll, yaw and throttle direction, and mark unused axes as unused so they cannot interfere.

3. Map the buttons and hats. Start with trim, brakes, views, flaps and gear before adding aircraft-specific commands.

4. Create a named joystick profile. Use X-Plane's profile management controls, then associate that profile with the intended aircraft or aircraft group.

5. Reload and check the association. If the bindings exist but the aircraft ignores them, X-Plane may have loaded a different aircraft profile.

See our X-Plane 12 calibration, mapping and aircraft-profile guidance for the simulator-specific controls workflow. FlightGear users should likewise verify raw device detection first, but its joystick configuration is separate and cannot use an MSFS, X-Plane or DCS preset directly.

Why does my Flightdeck profile not load on PC?

A profile that does not load is usually attached to an old USB instance, hidden behind a different active mode, or saved against the wrong simulator device, preset or DCS module.

1. Check Windows detection. Open joy.cpl. If either unit is missing or has a second entry, reconnect it to the USB port used when the profile was created and restart the simulator.

2. Check for a changed device instance. A firmware update, new hub or different USB port can cause the simulator to see a new controller even though its displayed name looks similar. Inspect every controller entry rather than assuming the old preset was deleted.

3. Confirm the Flight Hangar mode and profile. Select the intended hardware-side profile and mode before starting the simulator. A different mode can make a button transmit another input while the simulator preset itself remains intact.

4. Select both simulator presets. In MSFS, check the stick and throttle separately. In X-Plane, check the aircraft association. In DCS, choose the correct aircraft module and inspect both controller columns.

5. Remove duplicate axes. Search all connected devices for pitch, roll, rudder, throttle and brake assignments. An axis that moves twice, jitters or returns towards another position is usually receiving competing inputs.

6. Test a default aircraft. Bind one pitch axis and one throttle axis in a simple default aircraft. If those work, the remaining problem is an aircraft-specific command or preset selection rather than the Flightdeck hardware.

7. Save, restart and inspect before editing. Apply both layers, close the simulator normally and restart it. Check the selected names immediately; making new edits first can hide which preset actually loaded.

Does the Steam version change how Flightdeck profiles work?

No. Steam does not make controller profiles interchangeable or remove the simulator's own preset system. MSFS still stores bindings per detected device, while DCS still organises controls by module and controller column. Do not assume cloud synchronisation is a substitute for a manual DCS input-folder backup.

Can I use a Thrustmaster Warthog or another HOTAS profile?

No. A Thrustmaster Warthog profile is not interchangeable with a VelocityOne Flightdeck profile, and the same applies to presets made for other HOTAS devices. If “Wardog” refers to the Warthog, its device identifiers, button numbers, axis layout and available controls differ from Flightdeck.

Importing an unrelated profile can produce missing commands, reversed axes or dangerous duplicate assignments. The safe choices are to bind Flightdeck manually or use a preset explicitly verified for VelocityOne Flightdeck, the same simulator version and, for DCS, the same aircraft module. Even then, inspect every axis and button before flight.

Which Flightdeck profiles do we recommend for different aircraft?

Use one common profile only when the aircraft share similar controls; create another pair when the required axes or cockpit duties change substantially.

• General aviation: one profile for similar piston aircraft using throttle, propeller and mixture controls.

• Multi-engine aircraft: a separate profile when levers need individual engine assignments.

• Airliners: a dedicated layout for spoilers, reversers, autothrottle disconnects and frequently used autopilot functions.

• Helicopters and combat modules: specialised profiles for collective, rotor controls, sensors, weapons and module-specific commands.

Keep safety-critical and frequently used controls in consistent positions across profiles. Trim, brakes, view reset and autopilot disconnect should not move without a good reason. A naming pattern such as SIM - AIRCRAFT CLASS - STICK and SIM - AIRCRAFT CLASS - THROTTLE makes the active pair easy to verify after every restart.