Honeycomb Aeronautical Echo Aviation Controller Review

The Honeycomb Aeronautical Echo Aviation Controller is targeted at those who would love to take advantage of a full flight sim setup, complete with yokes, pedals, throttles, and switches for enhanced control, but who simply don’t have the space, money, or desire for that level of commitment. With the Echo Aviation Controller, Honeycomb Aeronautical has effectively shrunken down the full sim experience to fit on a handheld gamepad. It’s a marvel to behold and, if it works well, it could be a real game-changer. After gaming with it for several weeks now, it’s time for my review.

First impressions

Right out of the box, it becomes clear that Honeycomb Aeronautical isn’t messing around when it comes to extras. Firstly, there’s a case, which is very welcome as it will help protect a controller whose main strength is its portability. Then there are the extra lever heads and knobs to swap in and out. Finally, there’s the wireless dongle, providing a dependable wireless connection.

Looking at the controller, it’s clear that a lot of thought and consideration has gone into the locations of the many controls. A fine balance between ergonomics and functionality has had to be met, and I think the result is excellent.

There’s the Hall Effect thumbstick for pitch and roll, four assignable sliders, a trim wheel, as well as dedicated controls for gear, flaps, and parking brake. On the rear of the controller, two Hall Effect rudder paddles can be found. Using these to control yaw is clever thinking.

Built for Flight Sim

Once configured, the Echo Aviation Controller really shines in Microsoft Flight Sim. It’s obviously been developed with that game in mind, so it’s no surprise that it works well. The choice of controls focuses on the tools you most commonly need while flying. Their positioning, once you get used to them and develop muscle memory for their locations, makes sense, and I think Honeycomb Aeronautical has done an optimal job there.

Build quality feels solid, too, similar to official controllers from Microsoft like the Xbox Elite pad. The use of a Hall Effect thumbstick and rear paddles adds confidence to the overall longevity. Over my three weeks of use, everything has felt solid, but I’ll have to continue using it to know if it can last the test of time. For now, I’m confident.

Portable wins

The controller’s form factor makes it an excellent choice for a portable flight sim setup. If you have a gaming laptop and want to boot up Flight Sim in the hotel room, then this is where the Echo Aviation Controller would shine. However, its portability is also a boon at home, where being able to quickly set it up and put it away makes for a lot less friction when compared to a full setup. For those who find themselves put off by the act of having to set up their full flight sim setup, this plug and play controller may be the perfect solution. I’m certainly playing Flight Sim a lot more!

Natural weaknesses

The main downside of the Echo Aviation Controller is how cramped the controls have to be. It’s an inevitable weakness, as trying to make the controller as comprehensive as possible creates an obvious difficulty in prioritizing comfort. There’s only so much the designers could do here to satisfy good ergonomics. Despite this, I think it’s as good as one could hope for.

Also, setup is not quite as seamless as the all-in-one concept might suggest. While the controller itself is easy enough to connect, getting everything dialed in can take a bit of time depending on the aircraft and your preferred sensitivity settings. That is not unusual for flight sim hardware, but it does mean the Echo is not quite a pick-up-and-play solution in every situation.

Disclosure: Review sample provided by Honeycomb Aeronautical.