Ok, I have an update.
I found out that it wasn't the reverse thrust at all but it was the brake as some of you thought. When I landed and selected the programmed button on my Saitek X52, it showed that the brake was working on the aircraft panel but nothing was happening. I next tried using the "." on my keyboard and it worked perfectly. So I first re-calibrated the Saitek and when that didn't help I re-loaded the drivers. Still no go. I then tried changing the button I had programmed to another one but it was the same story.
Finally in desparation I went to Saitek's web site and looked under support\game specific\flight simulator 2004. In there I found the following statement:
[glow=yellow,2,300]Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004
If you have any trouble with the sensitivity of your controller or erratic controls (despite your controller testing out correctly when you check it in Game Controllers) then try the following:
Press and hold down the left CTRL+SHIFT keys on the keyboard, start Flight Simulator and start a new flight. Continue to hold down CTRL+SHIFT until the game is in Cockpit view and fully loaded. Now press the Alt key on the keyboard and then click Flights at the top of the screen and then Reset Flight. See if that helps.[/glow]
I did this and it now appears to be working properly. Apparently the Saitek's little brain gets scrambled? Kind like a teenaged boy with raging hormones, I guess. It did reset to the original setting for the game (Cessna 172, etc.) but I can easily change that.
Thanks everyone for all your help. Sorry I led all of us down a rabbit trail with the reverse thrust, but I honestly believed that was the problem. It never occurred to me that, if I was seeing the brake selected on the panel, it still might not be working.




) of the finer points. But it can get annoying when people ask for and receive advice and then 'vanish without trace' - until, of course, they have another question. 