As a helicopter pilot in practically every BF game that featured helicopters I didn't have a problem dealing with helicopters. Why? Because I knew what I was dealing with and didn't bring a knife to a gun fight, much less a knife to a gun fight vs. multiple people.
The key to it was bringing as many personnel to the fight as they did. If he has wrench monkeys you're going to need help, which is exactly as it should be. Two people with stingers is enough to either get the kill or deny the airspace.
As far as cover goes, if you force the helicopter to hide behind geometry you've won. He isn't destroying your armor short of a TV missile on a long cooldown if he has a good gunner while he's hiding he isn't bleeding tickets and he isn't supporting ground troups. Denial of airspace is just as effective as killing the crew in most cases.
Most of the complainers back then seemed to be solo infantry wondering why they couldn't handle a force multiplier crewed by more than one player.
...and I got news for you, there were plenty of people going 60 and 1 in tanks in the beta even with the ridiculous assault class spitting out panzerfausts like watermelon seeds. Pick a lane, stay off the infantry front so you don't get flanked, camp an ammo crate and destroy anybody who shows up on lane.