My shot is being made from directly above them, not head on. The space i am set up ahead of them is wiped out when i dive into them. Basically the same attack Devil described.
I’m not DIRECTLY above them but I’m close. Usually 70+ degrees.
You are spending more time in gun range, therefore hoping the gunners ability in the buffs is limited.
I’m spending more time in MY gun range, too. It’s a tradeoff but it works. It’s easier to setup than a HO, and I land more rounds on target.
Meanwhile my arcing attack profile is giving the gunner a constantly changing solution very few can deal with effectively—if at all. It also allows for a very efficient re-engagement as I am heading in the same direction as the bad guy on my egress. I wind up initiating follow up attacks from the same spot I started, which makes me fast and hard to hit while minimizing energy loss. (I save HOs for guys flying in the high 20s-plus when climbing above them is too much of a PITA.)
I should film it sometime.
I used to complain about BUFFs just like the OP. Now they’re my favorite target. Easy prey so long as I don’t get impatient, which, as you said, is iof vital importance.