While not perfect, if anyone who wants joystick control (the mouse isn't bad, but I just don't feel like a pilot using a mouse - regardless of how the ships would conceivably be controlled, a "stick" seems more apporpriate - why they couldn't have given people the choice is beyond me but outside the topic of this conversation) you can use the software to have the joystick emulate the mouse.

I use the Gravis Xtermintor and the Gravis Blackhawk Digital and it allows the mouse to be mapped to any of the axis of these joysticks (well gamepad and joystick)...

You have to have the v4.5 Eliminator software to be able to emulate the mouse. It works surprisingly well with the ship in the "free-flight" mode. With alittle work you can map the joystick buttons to the games keyborad keys and mouse buttons as desired. As a bonus you can use the stick planetside as well so you aren't switching between controllers ( I like the gamepad's analog stick best as an all in one controller for this, the stick doesn't work well there!).

The only thing I can't get to work is the joystick throttle to control speed (axis on a joystick vs. UP/DOWN keys in FL).

Not sure if other maker's software can emaulate the mouse (logitech, ms... anyone know) but Gravis definately can. There is a faint hope for joystick users out there yet...