...[RoF] gives the player an ability to see very small planes at over 10 miles regardless of contrast...
I think you are exaggerating now. With the map and map a/c icons turned on, I cannot see the pixel(s) denoting a far aircraft outside 5 km let alone the map grid 'box' which is 10 km. Perhaps monitor resolution has something to do with this (I have 1920 x 1200) but 10 miles??? 10 miles is about 16 km, and I challenge you to prove that you can see a distant a/c outside the 10 km box that is on the in-game map.
...I don't have TrackIR. ...
Far be it for me to judge, and I can understand if you are on a tight budget, but if this is some ideological thing do yourself a favor and get TrackIR, or try the free FaceNoTrackIR. I can guarantee you will not regret it; it will supercharge your enjoyment level. I rank TIR second only to a joystick as a necessity for combat flight sims. Others will agree.
