The important thing is that he had fun.
The guys that stick around and make the arena the most fun are the ones, like yourself that can take a few unsuccessful sortees and continue flying until they find the challenge enough to make the overall experience a positive one.
The Head On just might be a result of the no enemy icon situational awareness learning curve. It is very easy to pick up a target within @ 37 degrees that could either be coming at you or simply hung. So, what looks to be an easy pick from 6 oclock or 12 oclock high, many times turns out to be a pilot climbing / diving Head On. With the difficulty in keeping eyes on a target, some (including myself on occasion) will take the shot rather than avoiding at the last minute and risking opening one's self up to the mercy of the other pilot.
Now, this is where I absolutely assure you, that if you wait for there to be more than 6 players in the arena before you log in, you are missing the absolute best that the Aces High has to offer in terms of fun. Get more than 6 guys on, the fights tend to get a little more convoluted. Morale of the story, if you want to have fun in the AvA, be the first one to arrive there and hang around for just a little bit.