I could take or leave the "kills landed" message. It matters not a bit to me. Removing it wouldn't alter my flight style one bit.
I simply fly to kill the other guy, and returning to base is one of the criteria I use to judge my success. I don't count getting shot down as being equally successful as landing under my own control, regardless of how many kills I have.
I view getting shot down as at least some measure of failing the task I've undertaken. Just as I look at failing to shoot my opponent down as another measure of failing my desired goal.
So, kill's landed message or not, I'm still going to be trying to shoot the red guys and return to base.
Just as returning to base with kills doesn't mean those kills are "hard earned", "valid", "honorable", or whatever, failing to return doesn't imply a valient, valid, or honorable effort either.
Does anybody play this game to lose? The natural result of not losing fights in AH is returning to base, or at least landing/ditching out of gas/ammo somewhere...