Wow, what a difference.
Making the game look crappier than intended to get a gameplay advantage is lame and should not be possible.
Newb: "Hey, I'm new to AH. The graphics are not as great as what I'm used to from other sims, but the gameplay rocks. How can I see tanks in the trees better?"
AH vet: "Turn your graphics down, shadows off, detail, etc"
Newb: ...thinking to themself "wow, now it looks like a 1990s game, no thanks. Good thing I'm in my 2 week trial"
Hopefully the newb remembers to turn everything back on when they get in a plane. Maybe there should be 2 graphic setting profiles, one for flying and one for gv.