Next time you're in a fight, try NOT using the HUD at all. See what happens when you lose sight of the enemy. And try firing projectile weapons without the help you'd get in the cockpit. Try fighting without knowing the state of your shields, or theirs... etc. The list goes on.
I know when I'm fighting, the moment I lose sight of the enemy, the first thing I do is look at the HUD. What do you do?
I look at the HUD. If I had an unlocked third person view, I wouldn't need one though. Losing the gyro gunsight wouldn't be a major issue - I used to play lots of WW2 flightsims that don't have one. With a little practice, it becomes unnoticable. Even going without a crosshair at all isn't a problem - I exclusively play Arma 3 on Hardcore servers that don't allow for a crosshair. In Skyrim, I had no problem perfectly hitting targets with high angular velocity just by aiming over the arrows shaft and targeting ahead.
I'd call the status of shields overrated. In a one on one situation, I try not to be hit and hit the other guy regardless of any shield status.
Since I'd see it when I get hit, I'd know if I had taken some hits and could safely assume that my shields are low, and with a little experience, I'd say it would be quite easy to make a close guess about the enemies shield status. Moreover, there's a visual differentiation telling you if you hit shields or hull.
Three things here:-
1) Let's consider looking ahead, left and right. An 180+ degree arc. In cockpit I can look at any of that instantly. In an external view I'd have to rotate/sweep the drone around which could take numerous seconds. ie: In many cases cockpit view will give a quicker view, at least ahead. And to look behind, I suspect you'd be able to look behind quicker in cockpit too, than a long sweaping around in external.
2) So what? If I want to sit X kilometers away and look at some dots... does it really matter which view I wish to do it in?
3) While in external view I'm am creating a (small risk). Something could approach which would be obvious on the HUD, but I cannot see the HUD.
1. In most cockpit designs, you wouldn't be able to look around in a 180° degree arc because unless you have an elevated glass canopy (rendering you more vulnerable), your six is concealed by one minor object: your ship.
2. It does matter because third person wouild allow you to view these dots from a hidden position behind an asteroid/space station without any risk of being spotted yourself. Minimizing your heat signature because of the ability to turn your sensors off would be a cherry on top.
3. Not if you're looking around from time to time. Depending on how far you would be able to zoom out, you can even see what's behind you without looking around.
Look - I like third person view and the options it would offer to produce great video footage, which would in turn promote the game.
Camera Drones could be implemented provided they have certain drawbacks to mitigate abuse. I would deem 4-5 seconds way too short, there should be a speed limit so the drone can keep up with the ship, the drone should emit a large heat signature and all ship controls are transferred over to controlling the drone as soon as it's out, leaving the ship unsteerable.
At this point however, they wouldn't allow for good footage anymore, which is why I'd avocate for a positional flight recorder letting you edit camera angles and positions completely freely. Imagine setting up a static camera in a dogfights path and have you and your pursuer zip by, the switch to a chase cam etc...
The only point against it is the desire for instant gratification and dislike for watching recorded footage. I for one tremendously enjoyed watching replays of my races in TOCA 2 or Colin McRae Rally after an adrenaline-pumped race, having a smoke and relaxing from it.
Given that there are a host of things that one can do to increase tactical advantage such as using a HOTAS, using Track IR or VR, get a larger monitor or a triple monitor setup, use a wider FOV, etc...
Where is the consistency in advocating for balance in game play among all players at the expense of elements that would enhance the game experience?
I wouldn't call using a HOTAS a tactical advantage - I found mouse and keyboard easier. The only reason I use my HOTAS is because I have a Warthog and I like the haptic.
Allowing for unrestricted 3rd person view would be balanced between players - everyone can use it. The problem is that it's poorly balanced against first person, forcing people to use it in order to not put themselves at a huge disadvantage.
Larger Screens, VR or Headtracking are freely accessible for everyone, so I don't see any imbalance or inconsistancy here.