I want to pause a moment and first say thanks for all of the info. There's a lot of stuff in here I'll be trying offline to see what fits me and my 'style' (flopping around badly and making a lovely target of myself) and also to point out to the very new guys that if you ask an intelligent question on this board the aces of the game both friend and foe will descend with their points of view. The old vets and the truly gifted flyers want you to get better because they love the challenge of a good fight.
Personally I can't wait till I get all my ducks back in a row and can help a new guy out to a point where I can pass him on to an ace or two I'm familiar with. Frankly that was one of my favorite parts of the game. Meeting a new guy in the TA, teaching him the basics of flight, playing target for him, teaching him the radio and the basic dot commands, etiquette, and then passing them on to a trainer when they passed my level of teaching.
USE the TA. These guys know what they're talking about. The trainer corps is a top notch group of people and they can help you.
Correct me if I'm wrong gents.