[chas1963]

Frequently the first pilot to shout "Bandits spotted" was also the pilot with the best eyesight...coincidentally all the best combat pilots had really good eyesight (greater then 20/20 vision). Spotting the enemy first allowed one to get into the best position for attack...

Good eyesight means something might be spotted at a longer distance. Its situational awareness that allows a pilot to notice something in the first place, because he knows he should look for it. Good eyesight is useless if you're transfixed on whats ahead, or the readings on your instrument panel.

However, it would be nice if one member of the flight said "Bandits at 'x' o'clock" instead of simply leaving you to fly on alone without a care in the world.

Ya...But I don't think we need to take this down the "whats more important" route...I was just pointing out the fact that linking the distance at which the "AI" announces the intrusion of the enemy to "AI skill" level is not without a historical precedence. ...of course the fundamentals of "situational awareness" can be taught to a pilot of any experience while the quality of ones eyesight are given at birth.