I've come up with an interesting ideas for some houserules for climbs and dives, that would make the game more realistic and also likely less annoying at times.
1. (The basic one) - all aircraft effectively have the Height Control skill as part of the standard rules.

2. (The main one, instead of above): When an aircraft with climb counters conducts a dive, instead of descending an altitude level the player loses any desired number of climb counters, down to "none." When an aircraft without climb counters conducts a dive, it descends an altitude level and gains a number of height counters the player chooses, up to the rate of climb -1, but must gain at least one climb counter.

When conducting an overdive, the aircraft effectively does two 'dives.' If the aircraft has climb counters, it loses all climb counters and descends an altitude level, choosing and keeping at least one climb counter. If it has no climb counters, it descends two altitude levels, choosing at least one climb counter as above. (The first "dive" occurs on the dive card, and the second on the following straight.)

This makes it easier to control how many climb counters you have without having to descend an entire altitude level first, then climb back up, and also makes the overdive something that will actually come into common use, as well as making the presence of the immelman card (required for an overdive) more important.



Optional rules, take your pick of which ones to use:

3. The S-S D.III had an incredible rate of climb, originally represented by giving it a rate of climb of 1, which turned out not to be workable. If using this rule, to represent that the S-S D.III can plot a stall immediately following a climb, which is treated as a second climb. (So Climb-Stall would bring it up a full peg.)

4. (also optional) Aircraft that were notoriously structurally weak in dives (read: Nieuport-anything, and Albatross D.Va) draw a single "A" damage card after completing an overdive, ignoring special damage.

5. (Also optional) Aircraft that were famously good divers (SPAD's, and possibly the Phoinx) have the option of immediately executing a stall following a dive or overdive (in addition to whatever was plotted), treated it as a non-steep maneuver.

6. As 5. but only after doing an overdive.

7. (Choose either this or 6., not both) ALL aircraft can execute a stall as per 5. after doing an overdive. Famously good divers can do it after a regular dive as well.

8. As 7. but good divers can execute a straight instead of a stall after an overdive.

Take your pick of what suits you. I would always play at least 1, 3 and 4, and I would try out 2 and either 5 or 7 as well.