LOL, get ready for all of those who claim big red icons compensate for the reduced visibility range on a rendered computer screen vs real life and is actually more realistic.
I never cared whether no enemy icons is actually more realistic or not, but it certainly seems that way, is more enjoyable and immersive to me and the AvA is the only place I fly now.
ya well I have a small monitor and I can see the dots quite easy, I can also see that icons do help at a distance to identify the plane in AH like it would be in RL, but once the con is in range the icon should disappear so as to not make it to easy to follow, also Icons on, make it virtually imposable to be snuck up on, which we all know was a major way most pilots got there killz, Icons on take that element right out of the picture.
camo'ed skins play an actual role with out icons, the only complaint I have is that bare metal planes disappear without a telltale glint of exposed metal..
that's why planes were painted the way they were, to disappear in the sky and the ground, most ww2 planes I don't think would "glint".