Hey man -
I don't meet your requirement of being a "truly skilled veteran"; not even close. But, I did find something that helped me push my K/D ratio from abysmal to a little above abysmal...
I picked a plane (Ki-84) and tried to learn it as best I could. Just pick a plane or two, and learn their strengths and weaknesses. I took the -84 into the TA and got a lot of help and direction from the friendly folks in there. Then, I spent some time in slow flight (well under 100mph) to get a feel for the low speed handling and the stall. Then I took it up and tried to spin it again and again. Just try to get as comfortable as possible in the aircraft. That way, in the MA, you'll know for sure if you can maintain that slow spiral climb, or just how much airspeed you're going to pick up by diving two thousand feet to catch a bad guy.
Cheers and good luck.