Thanks Jeevz. The most aggravating thing so far with this thing is the description of the hotas commands. The DMS UP description is "DMS UP" LOL - thanks for that. I understand it's because the switches have different functions in different modes. Is there anything that sorts out all the options?
Read the whole section about the control stick in the manual. Make sure you configure the TMS, DMS, Coolie Hat, China Hat, Boat Switch, Trim and CMS so they are easy to get to. It's confusing at first but once you get use to it having those switches really reduces workload. I got used to using a realistic HOTAS profile in F4 and it's made learning the hog a lot easier. It's surprising how similar the two planes really are.