What is going to make this fun for you?

Originally Posted by SKUD

To me, and I know a lot of others, flying with your squaddies in a coordinated objective-based manner is the most compelling reason to fly and by far the most satisfying. Anyone can get good enough flying to shoot down plenty of enemies but it is something else to keep a cohesive formation in the air and fight as a team.

This right here is the wording I was lacking. The racing, stunts, and capture the flag are good time-killers between real missions like what you just described. Give gamers a reason to not only shoot down the enemy, but fly well as a part of a bigger group, and you have a recipe for a sim that draws new players, moves off the shelves, and has a bit more staying power than what we have now.