Using mouse to pan views?
 

I loved the ability in IL2 1946 to use the mouse to pan around the cockpit and external views, easily and smoothly. No click and drag required, just drag. I always switched off TrackIR after landing so I could switch to external view and use the mouse to pan around more intuitively.

Have I missed something, or is there no (current) way of doing this in CoD?

PPanPan

I had the same issue. I think I read that you can press F10 to turn off clickable cockpit.

I haven't had a chance to try that.

I wish you could just click cockpits and pan at the same time. i.e. have a tiny crosshair in the middle of the screen and let you pan at the same time.

You can press F10 as Eizon says. I do prefer his suggestion though to the way it's done now. :)

Also theres a new mouse view on external.

Left click drag changes the centering
Right click drag changes the zoom
Dragging mouse pans around

Hmm for me while in cockpit, holding middle mouse enables mouse look. Holding middle mouse + left mouse = pan.. holding middle mouse + right mouse = zoom.

But I am using free track and it works perfectly. I do the same as you on the external views, only I put a finger over one of my IR LED's so I can use mouse look :P