Whether you call my opinion on the current AvA fluff or not, my point regarding icons remains.
Turning icons off in the pursuit of "realism" is akin to poking your pilots in the eyes with sharp implements before sending them into combat.
Especially since AH has horrid display properties of fighters (black outlines, silver outlines, no outlines, just pure black shapes) beyond "obvious identification" ranges.
Oh, and I know from experience that a P-51B looks almost identical to a 109G2 up until you're close enough to see the invasion stripes on the wings. I did "no icons" once and was amazed at how badly AH displays things outside of 250 yards. This is something wider than my house (40' wingspan) and it was an almost-all-black plane-shaped blob until I was close enough to see bright black and white stripes.
Had he been using another skin I'd have shot him down, and I was on his side!
I have 20/20. I have a good video card, a decent monitor, 1280x1024 resolution. The technology available to any home computer just doesn't compare to what a human eye can see.
I wanted to refute the idea of "no icons for better realism." That isn't "fluff" (regardless of whether you agree)