Hi Kwall,
regarding the joystick, make sure at the minimum that any joystick you buy has a "twistable" stick (for rudder) and a throttle slider. This is of course assuming you don't already own a separate throttle or rudder pedals, which I think is a pretty safe assumption.
Constant manipulation of rudder and throttle are absolutely essential for flying your craft to its potential, and you can find a decent joystick with the twist feature and throttle slider for $20-$30. Once your AH addiction kicks in, then you can shell out for a more expensive one.