I'm in the same boat Kaz. Been flying for a few years now, always mouse and keyboard. I haven't switched over to the pedals, but have considered it many times. I tried kicking over to a JS, but failed miserably. WAY too many years of heavy FPS play
The one thing I really would love though is a better throttle input. I've tried using my mouse wheel, but I can never get the effect I really want out of it. Plus, I use mouse wheel (pressing it down) for firing just primary weps, so I often throttle back in a hail of gunfire
I think some sort of mount on the edge/side of the keyboard could be effective, but if the joystick has a good input for throttle that works too.
I know for a fact that inefficient throttle control is my largest weakness as a fighter, so if you guys have a suggestion I'm all ears. Anyway, good luck with the switch if your making it Kaz.