For FS2004 try the "desaturated textures" packages from
www.avsim.com (search the file library for "desaturated" and you should find two files, one for clouds and one that helps with the "purple haze" at dusk and dawn. I agree it looks too much like a candy wrapper sometimes, but those two replacement texture packs seem to help a lot.
Also for the potentiometer problem - you can also just cannibalize two cheap USB joysticks. Just get the cheapest you can find, disassemble them and use the electronics hooked to your hardware (or if you have a gameport one already, just get one extra USB one)
Tuomas