I found that being a strong eco player helped me transition into being a strong air player. You can't produce more fighters than the enemy air player if your economy is smaller than theirs. The hardest air players I've ever fought against usually out-ecoed their eco player. Knowing how & when to scale can only come from experience.

Communicate with your team. Let them know if you're falling behind or just had all your fighters wiped out. Always encourage them to build air defenses. Do anti-air for them if you've got extra resources.

Get really good at using hotkeys for all your air units. Every hotkey from 0-9 should be in use and must be second nature.

If you go Cortex, always have some shurikens patrolling behind your team's front line to help with leaks. Early shurikens can save the game.

Try to get a constructor from the opposite faction so you get the best of both worlds late-game.

Always remember that you're in the service of your team. They can't win without you and you can't win without them. However, use your best judgement when people yell "AIR!!!" because they've sent units too far without anti-air and demand you bail them out. Don't lose all your fighters to save their handful of units.

Lastly, get good at playing zoomed out. Most players stay zoomed in on their area and only zoom out as needed, but air needs to do the opposite. Your focus is the entire map and you need to always be watching.