You can try to bind and map a joystick (like my Logitech Extreme 3d Pro) but the throttle will never work correctly. There is no "middle setting" like a volume knob. It's either full throttle or off throttle, like a switch. This was one of my major complaints with BF2042 also. All they need to do is include mapped defaults for axis' and variable throttle.
During a ban on my EA account (I reported a VERY abusive voice chat user, and I got banned at the same time by AI, and of course EA stood behind the ban. Pretty stupid on their part.), I bought and installed Arma Reforger, started it, ran perfectly, plugged in my Logitech joystick, instantly recognized it and I was flying helicopters flawlessly without configuring ANYTHING!
Battlefield1942 was the best game and EA has been ruining it since Battlefield 1. Now here we are in2026 getting wrongly banned by AI and we cant even play the game we purchased in SINGLE PLAYER MODE while our account is wrongly banned!
This needs to change very soon or EA will be losing a LotOT of older gamers like myself!