If you had it for a year then its not a memory thing like I had. I had just got my VKB stick and I could never drop bombs..... turns out I was pushing the hat switch button instead of the "red" button I had set for the bomb release.... muscle memory

You said you tested the buttons and they all work, the only thing I can think of is maybe your setting the buttons or are using the wrong "mode" on the stick. AH has 4 modes that can be used to set your mappings to different layouts in different modes....gunner, fighter, vehicle, bomber. Be sure your on the correct mode you have set your mapping on.