Broadly, you need:
- A beefy gaming PC (you can build one for half the price of a commercial one - if I can do it, anyone can - all parts from Overclockers and build demonstrations on Youtube). This cost me around £2.5k around two years ago (probably MUCH cheaper now (maybe even half the price), with a greater choice of off-the-shelf models, and bear in mind you don't need two graphics cards (Flyinside, below, uses only one))
- A Rift with hand controls - cost around £500 (again cheaper now - I think around £400)
- Brunner yoke - around 1100 Euros (plus VAT - just when you think you have got away with it, the bill will arrive in the post from the VAT man around a month later!!!)
- Foot pedals (from cheap to expensive - not so important)
- Software - Microsoft FSX (cheaper if bought through Steam) or XPlane (I have both - they are very different); Flyinside (which make both work in 3D); plus any scenery ad-ons (strictly not essential, but I have for Shoreham and Goodwood on FSX - beautifully rendered); pls any special aircraft (I have a TB10/20 for FSX - it's spookily real), but can switch to anything from Cubs to 747s (built in to the existing software packages)
Yes, expensive, but mind-blowingly fun.
Much more info on the flight sim forums, or PM me if you want detailed specs :-)