I use an X52-pro (and have used an X45) I set the default HAT on the stick to strafe in the control screen which controls the up/down/left/right thrusters with my RH thumb
I use another HAT (on the stick) for yaw and pitch and a third (on the throttle) for looking around.
The main stick movement covers roll and pitch and twisting the stick covers roll
Callsign: Incoming
Life is like a sewer... what you get out of it depends on what you put into it. - Bob Newhart
Hell is being in a pure platinum asteroid field... with a diamond mining beam
Heard someone say they want the dev to change the controls for a gamepad.... phffttt..... Commander Powell never used a game pad. Never saw any vehicle other than an RC vehicle driven with a gamepad. Of course if you use a gamepad you probably play in 3rd person (remote control). Immersion ..... that's were it's at, first person and a joystick/HOTAS setup.
I use mouse and keyboard, and it works very well for me. I guess it's just what you're used to, or whatever you like the best.
I've been playing games with this setup for my entire life, so I'm used to these controls. I have never used a joystick in my life, so switching to one would require lots of adaptation.
I must say that a joystick probably doesn't offer any actual in game improvement in skill. Anything you can do with joystick, you can do with a mouse aswell.
SplosivesCorp: Bringing people closer to destruction.
One of those should probably be assigned to yaw. For aircraft-like control, I use the Z axis for yaw. 
