Agreed, CAVU days near sea level and a large body of water are rarity, so I like the realism of the haze layer. It enhances the realism IMO. I don't know if the AI have radar penetrating eyes that leave them unaffected. I know in the original IL-2, clouds offered no protection from enemy AI.

Back in the day when I was flying little airplanes, we here in Florida rarely got visibility forecasts beyond 10 miles. I remember one day in particular we had severe clear and I could see things nearly forty miles away according to the DME, but it was one of the bumpiest flights I ever made. Clear air turbulence and thermals made trying to maintain a steady altitude a real challenge, but I could see Lake City off my left wing and Gainesville off my right at the same time. I heard a guy from Colorado once say they felt anything under 60 miles visibility made them feel less than comfortable.