ahhh let me clarify for you SoA, (I guess I should have read the original post more thoroughly

)
by realism, I don't mean the differences from RR and FR per se, but rather the quest for even "more" realism that some seem to clamor for, like more involved engine management, more restricted views, random failures, remove ammo counters, reduce radar info, etc. etc.
AH as is stands now is no more difficult than RR/FR were - neither of which were overly difficult. AH has found a nice zone that mixes varying amounts of realism, such as it is, with gameplay concessions, such as they are.