Any tips for this? I bought a cheap USB Thrustmaster from Amazon and while I'm loving the ease of maneuverability, I can't hit the broadside of a barn with the damn thing. I'm so used to the precision of the mouse, as it's the way I've been playing these games for so many years. I thought maybe adjusting the sensitivity in the config files might help with the small adjustments needed for fine aiming but it hasn't improved my situation much.

I suppose I will continue to practice, but I figured I'd see if anyone had any tips, too. :)

There are some DOSBox settings you can change to improve the joystick handling. Check out this video (it's for X-Wing, but the tips apply for TIE Fighter also):

http://www.gog.com/forum/star_wars_xwing_and_tie_fighter_series/xwing_1994_tweak_guide_video_graphics_sound_music_speed_and_controls/page1

The notable things are changing the joystick type in the dosbox configuration file, and using the keymapper to assign other buttons on the joystick (like the hat switch). There's also a timing setting for the joystick that is supposed to help, but that may already be set correctly by default.

You could try looking for a way to adjust the deadzone (i.e. area near the center where the stick will not register movement) and/or sensitivity if you're having trouble with precise aiming. I think that the ideal behavior should have no movement when the stick is centered or close to center, slow movement when it's only slightly off center, and fast movement when it's far off center (e.g. pushed all the way in a given direction). If your stick is already behaving like that, then you may just need some practice. It's worth it, though, because once you get the hang of it, joystick control is much easier than mouse control in my opinion.