Completely agree with you, aust. Actually, that grim expression is what I probably look like when I see that dreaded mission word "Scramble". For a few weeks in P2, as a Camel pilot I robbed many germans of a chance for an easy kill by committing suicide on takeoff in my panic. I'm much better know- I take off and it usually takes several minutes for them to shoot me down. But I die in glorious high resolution and great damage modeling in Phase 3. That's progress...
On a serious note, that guy's expression is pretty chilling. I have read numerous autobiographies, including Richtofen's and McCudden's. Invariably, there comes a realization that the war is not just a grand adventure but a terrible tragedy that they may not outlive. My own grandfather's letters from the trenches in France (US Marine) progress from excitement and anticipation to relief that it was over when he was sent home (shot twice, gassed once which enlarged his heart and finally killed him 40 years later). BHAH is a fantastic simulation but I'm glad that it's just that...