Hypothesis:
The current clipboard system is meant to represent a command and control network in which voice communication is used to relay enemy aircraft locations based on visual sightings, communications intercepts and ground based radar. Presumably all this information would be passed through the HQ for evaluation and dissemination to all friendly units.
Problem:
In AH when the HQ is knocked out the entire C and C network goes down. This could only be possible if the only radar set, only huff-duff unit and all of the spotters were located within the HQ compound. As we all know, there are individual radar sets at all of the airfields and probably simulated spotters as well, and these systems should not go offline due to ordinance dropped many miles away.
Solution:
When the HQ, and therefore the C and C network, is damaged the ability to receive in-cockpit information for distant sectors should be degraded. First, all pinpoint location (dots) information for enemy and friendlies should be lost resulting in sector bars only. Second, as more damage is done to HQ all general location (sector bar) information should be lost. This is pretty much how it happens now.
HOWEVER, unless the individual radar sets are knocked out, we should still receive pinpoint and general location information from the still operational sets, provided we are within some logical distance from a field with an operating radar. (this distance simulating voice communication range) The only information displayed on the clipboard would be that information provided by local fields with operational radar, the rest of the map would be empty of information, both hostile and friendly. There would be times, say when you are in-between two fields, when you would be blind.
But you say, “Furious, you fool, what would prevent people hopping around from tower to tower to report enemy information?” Nothing. The way AH compresses time (fuel multipliers, 30 second refuel/rearm, spawning, etc.) this could simulate some couriers on motorcycles racing from field to field delivering information on enemy movements.
F.