Always maintain Situational Awareness (SA).  Understanding whats happening around you is important!  Six o'clock is the danger zone (for that matter so is 4,5,7&8).  Use your radar to locate nearest threats. The Y key will target closest radar target.  The most DANGEROUS person in the game is the HOST (**unless you ARE the host, then EVERYONE is dangerous to you**).  You should always be aware of where the host is and who he happens to be hunting - it maybe you.  Use the CNTRL+W key combo to check the host.  The person in the First Slot is always the host. Dont forget to watch the others too - Veteran players especially.
Learn all your aircraft controls so you can find them easily.  Configure your joystick for air-to-air combat.  The default configuration in the game is fine for Campaign missions and air-to-ground but setting up your JS for A2A can be a big help.  Tactical View-F9 can be very useful - practice with it and if you like that feature assign it to one of your joystick buttons - maybe replacing LANTRIN that isnt very useful in A2A.  PRACTICE using all your joystick button and all the useful keyboard keys.  You need to be able to find those controls in a fight.
Your ECM/Jammer is important (J Key)  Some people claim turning the Jammer on and off while a missile is tracking works best.  Others say leave it on and leave it alone.  Always use Chaff when a radar missile is tracking you.  Dont bother dropping chaff when the missile is 10 miles out - wait till it's a LOT closer - like within 1-2 miles.  Chaff falls behind and below your airplane so it doesn't help as much when a missile is coming in head on at you, or from high above you.  Maneuver so the missile is on your 3 (F2)or 9 (F3) o'clock so you can see it coming and maneuver HARD using chaff (for radar missile) or flare (for IR missile). The BEST tactic for avoiding any missile is Terrain Masking - go low and put a ridge or mountain between you and the inbound missile... or go very low, just above the deck to try and spoof the missile with chaff/flare/maneuver if no hills are handy.
The Reload point is an important (and dangerous) place.  Staying nearby means having access to extra missiles, cannon shells, chaff and flares.  Always keep in mind where it's located.  Watch out for others heading that way and take them out if you can.
Its harder for someone to concentrate on you if they have to be dodging your missiles too.  Its often a good idea to snap off a "harrassing shot" to keep them occupied while you move closer in for the kill. Counter that with your own "harrassing shot" while you work to defeat an incoming missile. You cant "kill" someone unless your shooting at them (unless you can chase them into the ground trying to avoid you, or your missiles).  
Dogfighting takes the most skills and needs the most practice.  Learn to love the Gun - because of JF4 internet bugs it's the only reliable way to shoot down other players who arent the host.  The LCOS (Lead Computing Optical Sight) is mostly handy when you're shooting at some's 6 o'clock and they're flying mostly straight and level. Otherwise it has problems with Internet LAG issues.  You can put the LCOS pipper right on a plane, pull the trigger and still not hit a plane.  Thats because the data you're "seeing" is a bit lagged out, and you're shells are going behind where that persons jet is actually at right then. And so the shot doesn't "compute a hit" in the hosts computer (the hosts computer -acting as the server- decides who has been hit, and who hasnt).  This can work for you (as long as you don't fly straight and level) making it harder to shoot you, and also works against you making you work harder for "gun kills".  Because of the Lag problem you'll need to learn to "lead" an aircraft.  Pull the trigger and put a stream of cannon shells out there and let the other plane fly right through it.  With practice you'll learn where to aim and when to shoot.  Guns work best when you are in CLOSE!! Try to get a clean six shot.  Be careful of turning in a circle withsomeone.  He has as much chance of getting you as you have of getting him.  It may LOOK like you're closer to his 6 and he is to your 6, but you have to consider that Lag again.  He may have a good shot at you when it doesn't look it to you.  If you see him turning and firing its possible that he's in position to get a good shot off at you.  This might be a good time to change direction, maneuver to leave the plane (geometric plane there, not telling you to Eject just yet) of the current circle and try and get more of an advantage in the next engagement.  Turning to run away only means one plane can get a good gun shot - and its NOT you.  In a turning fight the slower aircraft can turn FASTER.  You may want to learn to use the SpeedBrake, or even the Flaps while in a fight to get the angle you need to engage your bandit with guns.  

There is no substitute for experiance.  Fly and fight with the best you can find online.  If you pay attention to how the veterans fly and fight, practice what you see againsts good opponents than one day you'll become the Hunter instead of the hunted.  Good Hunting!

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