You can only do that in AH due to the icons and the liberal view system.
Without icons ito would not be possible to get any idea if you were catching or being outrun by a single engined fighter beyond 1,500 or 2,000 yards.
This is not a problem in reality.
Icons are an imperfect solution to a very real problem. Denying that there is a problem doesn't make it go away. I, for one, do not want to play "Dot Chaser High".