The haptic feedback signal in haptic interfaces is usually in the form of a force on the control device. In contrast, the “active side stick”, investigated in the 80s and 90s, uses an admittance display, whereby the position of the device is linked to the feedback signal, and force applied on the device is used as the control signal. These devices are usually tuned in a serendipitous manner. To better understand the potential and tuning rules for these devices, tuning is investigated with a model-based approach and verified in pilot-in-the loop experiments using various aircraft dynamics. It was found that certain gain settings offered considerable benefits in terms of tracking performance as well as the control effort exerted by the pilot, while taking into account the system's stability margins. Based on these findings, a comprehensive tuning procedure is proposed for control systems involving an active manipulator.