I do not want to respond in detail, but I have two things to say:
1. In the Galilee Peace War (anachronism, anyone?), we beat down the Syrian air-force, felling more than 80 of their planes with no losses on our side.
2. The Syrians knew our aireal might, and sent out fighters to be shot down anyway, fighters that knew they were to be shot down, without fail.

It is dangerous to assume that the Syrians employ the same logic that we do.