AcademyKnow what good looks like
Short briefings, visuals and the ACS standard, before you touch the controls.
Phone, tablet, laptop
Thrustmaster owner offerLifetime free access to the Academy, plus 3 months of premium features free. [Eligible gear and conditions TBD]
Claim Offer
The Academy
Pick your controller. Pick your aircraft.
Every Thrustmaster controller has a course that teaches you to use it, flown in the right aircraft. Then keep going with the aircraft you want to fly, from a Cessna 172 to an Airbus A320.
My controller
Learn your controller
Fly your aircraft
How a module works
One lesson. Three ways to train it.
Start anywhere, repeat any step, mix them however your week looks. Your progress follows you.
Fly it with your gear
We load the aircraft, airport, weather and start position. You fly it on your Thrustmaster controls, then get scored and debriefed.
X-Plane 12 or MSFS at home, or a school sim
Take it to the airplane
Fly with a CFI who already sees your sim record. Less relearning, more flying.
Partner schools and instructors
New from Thrustmaster
New
TCA Sky Yoke
An all-in-one yoke with built-in throttle, trim and rudder controls. For PS5 and PC, and ready for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
- 7 axes16-bit, Hall effect
- 24 buttonsHat switch, mini-stick, triggers
- 180°Rotation, 3.5 in pitch travel
- Dual ControlTwo yokes, one aircraft
Dual Control lets an instructor and a student share one aircraft. The same idea as an Academy Fly lesson, from your desk.
More Thrustmaster flight sim gear
TCA Yoke Pack Boeing Edition
Official Boeing replica yoke and throttle quadrant, inspired by the 787.
PC and Xbox
TCA Captain Pack X Airbus Edition
Replica Airbus sidestick and throttle quadrant. Ambidextrous.
PC and Xbox
T.Flight HOTAS 5 Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition
A stick and throttle to start flying with, in the official MSFS edition.
PC
HOTAS Warthog MKII Base
A redesigned Warthog base with anti-stiction ball bearings and modern electronics.
PCTry a lesson now 3 min in X-Plane 12
FL03D · Cessna 172 · Beginner
Medium-Bank Turns
Fly two 180° turns at 30° of bank, left then right, holding altitude and airspeed. Learn the roll-in, back pressure and rudder.
▶ Open lesson, then Fly NowTrending in the Academy
Learn Your Controller 4 courses
Private Pilot License
From your desk to a pilot certificate.
The complete PPL syllabus, built by master CFIs and scored against the FAA Airman Certification Standards. Fly each module on your Thrustmaster gear, then take it to a real airplane and a real instructor.
Start the PPL CoursePrivate Pilot Course
Real instructors
Take your flying to the next level with a CFI.
Community Aviation connects you with real flight instructors who can see your sim flights before you meet. No starting over, no guessing where you stand.
- Share your sim recordYour flight paths, scores and debriefs go to the instructor you choose.
- Book a CFIGet a video review of your sim flights, or a lesson in a real airplane.
- Move to a partner schoolKeep your record and continue toward your certificate.
Instrument Rating 10 modules
Airbus A320 Line Flying 5 modules
Boeing 787 Line Flying 5 modules
Scenarios: Judgment Under Pressure
More Reasons to Join
A course for your controller
Yoke, sidestick or HOTAS, each has a course that teaches it in the right aircraft.
Hundreds of lessons
Maneuvers, full PPL and IFR courses, airliner and jet transitions, and real-world scenarios. New content every week.
Built by master CFIs
Every lesson follows the FAA ACS and is designed by instructors who train instructors.
Real instructors and schools
Book a CFI to review your flights, or move into a partner school when you are ready.
Why the Academy
Good hardware, taught properly.
Most people buy a yoke or stick and learn it from forum threads. Here every flight has a purpose, a standard and a debrief, and your record goes with you to your instructor and school.
| Forum tips and videos | Thrustmaster Academy | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Trial and error | Guided calibration and tuning |
| Standard | No measure of progress | ACS tolerances, scored debrief |
| Content | Scattered clips | Full PPL, IFR and airliner courses |
| Structure | Watch and hope | Learn, Do, Fly at your pace |
| Next step | None | Partner schools and instructors |
Teach with the Academy.
Assign lessons, see every student's flights and publish your own courses to the catalog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Thrustmaster Academy?
A collection of flight training courses from Thrustmaster, delivered by Community Aviation. You learn on any device, practice in a sim with your own controller, and fly the real airplane with a CFI. Everything is built and reviewed by master CFIs.
Which controller do I need?
Any of the four: TCA Sky Yoke, Boeing Yoke Pack, Airbus Sidestick or T.Flight HOTAS. Use the filter to see the courses that fit what you own. Courses also run on other controllers.
What is Learn, Do, Fly?
Each lesson has a briefing (Learn), a sim exercise (Do) and a real-aircraft lesson (Fly). Use one, two or all three, in any order.
How much does it cost?
Thrustmaster owners get lifetime free access to the Academy, plus 3 months of premium features free [eligible gear and conditions TBD]. Everyone else gets the first 5 lessons free, then plans from [price TBD] per month. Cancel anytime.
What sim do I need?
X-Plane 12 or MSFS. Partner schools also run lessons on their own simulators.
Does sim time count toward my license?
Home sim time is not loggable, but it shortens the real hours you need. Sessions on approved school devices can be logged.
Can I work with a real instructor?
Yes. Book a CFI to review your flights, or join a partner school for the Fly part.