First of all, Welcome!
Sharp analysis of this game...impressive in just 2 weeks.
I think you'll cope just right, and you should quickly feel at home here.
For the do's and dont's, I'll let the trainers speak. But flying smart is the key of any successful sortie (furball, high-alt lone hunt, JABO...you name it).
Don't forget to try the Combat Theatre (CT). You'll either hate it or love it, but with CT and MA, HTC offers you a combination which should suit any of your moods/tastes.
Tour Of Duty events (TOD) are also a must. Even if you're not in a squad, it's possible to enlist as a guest during a couple of frames. 332nd Flying Mongrels will be happy to welcome you if you ask politely (besides, we definitely need someone to clean our dust covered planes. We provide pails, buckets, water and propwash
)
mate. Once again, welcome aboard!