Not interested in score
Not interested in flying for 20+ minutes to throw it away for 1 kill
Not interested in balls out aggression every sortie
I prefer 2v2, 3v3, 4v4 if it happens
I will engage if e states and numbers are marginally against me
If e state or numbers are heavily against me, I disengage. Though will stay in area.
I live to land kills.
I ask before jumping into someones fight
Give check 6 and tactical info wherever possible
we are apparently playing
exactly the same game

Titan, I dont think its possible to get a consistent sub-25 fighter rank without being strategic/careful in one way or another. I havent checked but I very much doubt that your style involves flying a P40E or C202 into the biggest bunch of bad guys you can find regardless of E-state or friendly support. but that is the point - there is a massive range of skill in the game, and almost as many games being played as there are players.
your tempy may have been out of fuel/ammo/luck, it may have been a noob using (and trying to protect) his first 50 fighter perks, he may have been bounced by 3 D ponies so high that you didnt see em, he may have a pw and was trying to sneak another kill while rtb, he could be going for a PB kill streak, he might be taking sustained wifeack to do some chores, there could be a 100 reasons ...
a guy runs ... so what? you neutralised the threat, move on to the next bad guy.