As a ground unit, its your human responsibility is to lead your side.
Ensure the sky is clear. Bots dont take planes all the time, so get rid of those planes and you should be free to move around until the next wave.
Don't forget, the Kittyhawk is even more deadly cuz its both a fighter and bomber and less likely to miss its target, the way it flies and less likely to get shot down.
So everything works out.
In WWII, surviving being taken out by an airstrike wasn't about hoping he doesn't see you, but having dominance of the air.