You can fly them also well with an Xbox Gamepad to learn or to test and without healthy envy to those great collectives and cyclics:
Or any HOTAS sure, although if you can and have already room, budget etc., better the specific collectives and cyclics sure sure without any doubt, I hope to buy mine ones someday…, a 6DOF also, and to buy a house bigger first… hahah
Patience, yes for fun and sightseen etc., Easy Mode only while you are learning a bit more maybe, if you want really to learn as real live and after learnt, always Hard Mode in all the flights, and enjoy also striving yourself taming those savage horses, despite you do not do it as you wish, during tens and tens of hours, be patient and respectfully with yourself. I am still learning, and like in the real live, we never stop of learning all days, and with the fixed wings the same.
Enjoy it!