IMO its very hard to emulate the movement of a human body using a keyboard joystick or tracking head gear. Catching a ball would be a good example, you just couldn't do it using say a robot hand controlled by keyboard ex.
On the other hand controlling a machine is different, you can copy the movement of levers handles, wheels and switches with gaming devices.
There for making a short cut to make up for the lack of a human body is perfectly acceptable.
There are Axes pilots arguing against a change, but I suspect most opposition would be coming from the British side. After all the way it is centered gun sights have the advantage.
As far as realism go, that's why we have a choice to turn things on and off. If you want more people to play the game and keep it alive in the future you must make exceptions after all how many people started playing IL2 on easy settings(every one if their honest). One more small realism aid isn't going to destroy the game.
