yep, follow the OPs advice on changing altitude and its good and I'd add a few things:

1. Rule #1 (ahead of the OPs imho) never, never, never, never, ever load more than 2-3(at most and rarely 4) aircraft on a single pilot!  Never do this!  

2. When having any doubts about CV operation, see Rule #1, then follow the OPs advice.  

3. For those who auto DB, you can still use the OPs advice on changing altitude.  Make sure you drop altitude more at least 10m so when you want to bomb you can do the following (referred to in Jamus' guide in old data as "Lazy L")  hold down the raise altitude button(L) and while climbing hit the right click button to select the target to bomb.  Normally you can't select a target for auto bombing while at lower altitude but if climbing, you can and this allows you to both change altitude and then climb and select target as you get close to your target. 

4. Launch flights from right to left (higher numbers first) so if you have pilots 1-4 ready for launch, the order you launch them in is 4,3,2,1.  This allows the flight leader to be in the lead of the flight and makes grouping easier and tighter when flying to target.  

5. Don't use the mouse to launch planes.  Its not in any guide I've found other than VetsFleet utube videos (old but good stuff on manual bombing etc) but use the keyboard to launch flights as follows:  use the ` (to the left of the 1 button, upper left on keyboard) to launch planes so your key sequence in example 4 would be 4` 3` 2` 1`     and your flights would launch in perfect reverse order with your flight leaders in the front of their flights.  This allows for you to be bombing or manipulating fighters (even with your CV off the screen in view(micro managing fighters is highly recommended)) while launching your  next set of aircraft.  Awesome way to keep maximum aircraft in the air simultaneously with bad intentions for the other team :)

6. Another tip: The ' button does not just return planes but also readies them. You can hit the pilot number and then scroll the number of planes to ready and then click ' to ready the aircraft.  This gives the advantage of being able to ready up your next strike or fighter sweep while micro managing your current squadrons in the air with your mouse while using your keyboard to ready up future flights.  You could also do what I do with my gaming mouse and configure extra mouse buttons for the . (launch torps or manual bom)  G (center on ship) ' (return flight or ready up) and B (resume straight course with your ship)

otherwise very good stuff here.