The established principles of gaining height advantage in aerial combat, so as to dive on one's opponent...and then to zoom away to regain position, reflects the basic tenet of aerial combat tactics and maneuver. Extended dogfighting not only erodes airspeed, but it also disadvantages the combatants through their loss of situational awareness, and the inevitable loss of energy as any turning dogfight will extract from those involved (it's the qualitative difference between choosing to maneuver in the horizontal, or the vertical planes).

Boelke's dicta did not emphasize "turn and burn" dogfights, but well calculated slashing attacks on a disadvantaged (or totally unsuspecting opponent), followed by maneuver to regain position and therefore advantage.

http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/comment/dicta-b.html

Unstable agility fighters rarely possessed the top airspeeds achieved by the inline stability fighters, but the inherent difference (and disadvantage) in airspeed differentials was regained in the dive, MvR knew this, and Cobby knew this, as did all experienced air fighters.

The advantage in WWI aerial comabt lay in mastering the hunt, and employing the slashing attack......and whenever possible.