At no point in Skyward do they dogfight in a firing line. Cobb puts the students in a line to teach them discipline, coordination, and maneuvering. He criticised the teaching style of other instructors who let the students dogfight right away. Cobb believed in hammering in the fundamentals until they were instinct, and only then allowing them to actually fight. This is sensible military doctrine.

Skyward is a great book.