So, after spending four hours trying to get the ‘ghost throttle’ issue sorted out with my Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog throttle and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, I have finally identified the issue and sorted it out.
This is a Microsoft / Asobo issue and is not an issue with the Thrustmaster Throttle. Having said that, I suspect that other MSFS users using different throttles, could also experience similar issues.
The issue is caused by a setting, deep inside Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, that provides ‘Take-off Assistance’. When this option is set (which it is by default since the update back in Mid 2021) the simulator tries to override the users throttle and some joystick movements on take-off. This forces the flight simulator to take 2 sets of input signals for the throttle.
The first signal comes from the physical throttle movement from the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog throttle and the second signal (the one that causes the erratic behaviour) comes from the simulator itself as it tries to override the users physical throttle settings.
The fix is really easy.
Within MSFS, navigate to OPTIONS / ASSISTANCE OPTIONS / PILOTING
Turn off ‘Assisted Takeoff’
Click ‘Apply and Save’ or F11 to save your new settings
And that is it. Everything works perfectly once this change is made.
Microsoft / Asobo either can’t or won’t acknowledge this as a serious issue but at least there is now a fully working solution to this awful controller issue.
Hopefully, this message will assist others who are having the same issues that I have experienced and, for goodness sake Microsoft, set this flag back to off on the next update and document it so that others can make a value judgement on whether or not this option is useful to them or, as in my case, a massive overhead.
Ed