The blinding sun effects in CoD is the best I've ever seen in a flight sim. TrackIR with its 6 DOF can be put to full use by using the overhead canopy frame to obscure the sun for a little better look at the sunward sky.

Spotting aircraft IS difficult, it's VERY difficult as we all know. Some tips for spotting enemy aircraft:

1. Be alert for flak. The black stuff is inaccurate, but it gives a heads up of an enemy presence & flight direction in the general area & altitude. The nasty white bursts of flak are VERY accurate -- track those white puffs and you WILL see the enemy!

2. Fly high and fast. Down low it's actually easier to spot other aircraft against the sky, but you're also vulnerable. Check 6 constantly, not occasionally. This includes your high 6 and low 6. Every 30 seconds or so I rudder left, then right, while looking behind for anyone sneaking up from below or maneuvring to dive on me from above.

3. Despite what my signature says, if you see a 109 in your mirror -- close your eyes tightly: he can't see you when you do that. Also sing "Rule Britannia" or something suitably patriotic. I toggle off my mirror to improve frame rates, anyway.

4. Keep your monitor resolution low. You probably do, anyway, to keep your frame rates up. Low res = bigger pixels = easier to spot distant aircraft.

5. Online play: fly with a buddy and use Teamspeak. Fly side by side about 500 meters (or more) apart. It's a ton easier watching each other's 6 than your own. Plus, if attacked your buddy can call out which way for you to roll so he can then do likewise onto your attacker.

Hope this helps. Rule Britannia! :D

lightly tinted screen, same effect as sunglasses, on a toggle is all I'm suggesting.

Yes and let's have a rof style pilot pack so I can buy some aviators or oakleys :P, it's annoying but it's meant to be and once it saves your ass you wont mind it so much ;)

But the realism police will be all over that idea like white on rice ;), to be honest a feature like that is going to have to take a position way to the back of the line.

It is not as big a problem as you would think.
Move your head so that the sun is mostely blocked by an copitframe the glare is then a lot less.
Tracking enemies is then not impossible.
I think the sound radar is much more of a problem.

I'm only afraid someone might end up sitting on that virtual thumb at some point :rolleyes:

Just thought it would be nice, I've got no trouble spotting enemy planes or evading a bounce, that's really not what I'm talking about, and implementing it wouldn't be too hard since it's already done with pilot injury. Also, tinting the screen makes it even harder to see planes.

So you just want a tinted windscreen to make the plane look pimp?

Who said anything about the windscreen?

you said the effect would make it more difficult to see planes so you just want a tinting effect for the sake of it? to give the ilusion of wearing sunglasses?