We had a challenge over at Battlefield UK where basically one plane would spawn at a time with Rookie AI and the goal was to, flying a Yak-9T, shoot down as many as you could before the ammo runs out. Aircraft would show up roughly one at a time (you'd get about 2 minutes with each). One or two guys could shoot down I think 25-30 aircraft . One shot kills with the 37mm.
It's not combat realistic but put solid aiming in there and these guys can down several rookie human pilots in a row with no problem.
Of the cheats out there we've seen one guy who he managed to explode aircraft by shooting nearby but that was pretty obvious. If it happens on occasion that's lag. If it happens every time over the course of 20-30 kills then we suspect cheating.
Most cheats we've spotted are unlimited ammo and reducing the weight of their aircraft so they can do otherwise impossible zoom climbs.
Honestly... as a rookie pilot you think aiming and flying is hard. As a veteran pilot of the IL-2 Forgotten Battles series ...flying, even when your rusty, is like a second nature. I don't even think about it anymore. I don't even recall buttons pressed or operations I'm doing unless I actually stop and think about it. It's all automatic. My aim is kind of the same at this point. It takes a bit when you jump into a plane you haven't flown for a while but once I get it in my head again... I can shoot very precisely even against manoeuvring targets. Shots that appear impossible are not. Even at 90 degrees against an aircraft in evasive... with the right technique and deflection shot you can make it a kill. That's what a few thousand hours of practice can do.
You also have those days where you can't hit the broad side of a barn door
