with respect, no they shouldnt...everyone has paid their money and they can enjoy it at whatever level they like. If that means they are too easy a target for your enjoyment, well tough titty IMO.
i enjoy it at a recreational level...i really have no inclination to study the aircraft beyond what i find i enjoy to fly.

I'm sorry if I happened to sound arrogant, or whatever you thought it was. I didn't mean people should dive in the books or something, I sure didn't, but at least try out some stuff. No problem if they don't, but at least for me the game is much better when I fly an aircraft that flies like I want it to. If someone wants to fly the P-51 because it's their favorite plane, be my guest, just don't be surprised if you have a hard time killing someone.
As a general advise to those who recently started playing the game, I'd say they should try different aircraft, maybe take a look at the forums, just so you'll find a plane you like.

This is probably the reason the severs are so very empty, people think that sim fans are arrongant bastards that mock anyone would cannot list in order each component of the plane.

If you met this person in your first match that view would be solidified.

So gloat if you will sir, but enjoy your empty servers.

I told you, and even in the title, the question was smug. But I didn't expect everyone on here to understand the limitations of the planes while playing, but if you are flying simulator. You should realize how your plane handles at 10,000 or 5,000ft.

I'm not trying to tear anyone down by any means, in fact I was hoping to open some eyes by realizing that if they're flying a 109, not to dogfight at lower altitudes, and vise versa with Yaks etc. I know I came of as an "elitists", but I was just wondering why some people did that? I can understand not knowing about the planes, but maybe now, people will start looking into their planes and seeing where they fit in altitude dogfights?

nope, i still dont give a monkeys...i'll try to out turn anybody at any altitude and probably wont even know what it is they are flying anyways...you see, the thing is, when i get shot down, i dont really die.

actually, i do want to learn the manouvers...turning gets a bit boring after a while....but i certainly dont want to know the related performance charateristics of various aircraft at any given altitude...no sir, i dont want to know that at all

Well it does give you an advantage over other players, to know what your plane is best at what altitude and such. Just trying to out turn someone over and over again, just turns into a game of who is going to lose speed the fastest, and not be able to recover in time? It's happened.

The fun thing about this game (one of those newbie folks here :) ) is that I'd never even heard of 90% of these planes before I bought it! I'd thought WWII was fought with only Mustangs, Spits, Corsairs, Zeros and some Mescherscmits (sp?). I've found my new love with the LA-7, Russia had some great planes! I've had excellent luck online with this one. I've spent a bit of time reading now about the various aircraft too, lots of interesting history in it.

Our 8 yo son now runs around the house with a die-cast Polikarpov I-16 as his main dogfighting toy, lol :) Never heard of that one either. I'm going to guess most people trying this game don't know what fighter is good for what, especially what optimal altitudes are.

yeah i know, thats usually why i get shot down, cos i get bored and try summut else.
anyways, i must be seriously bad at the game, cos i find the spitfire way easier to fly than the 109....
maybe i just find it nicer though...which is why i fly it regardless of what anyone else is flying.

And that's why I think some people should look into the planes, not just because it could assist them with the Online aspect of the game, but because then you just get a better respect for the planes.

Well I suggest looking into the Spitfire models in the game, and read some info on them outside the game. You'll get a better aspect of what your up against and what your limitations are etc. online.

see, your missing the point....that makes it more like a study task...its a fun game to me and my sort. it really dosnt matter untill i come up against someone like you, and i suspect you would get me regardless of my knowledge of the aircraft.
i think what you need to do, is think of people like me as the rookie with 5hrs flying experiance before put in the front line. that way we can all enjoy the game at the level we choose