Ways to gain rank as a new pilot

This is just a summary of some ways you can earn rank points, to get access to better planes.

From rank 1 to rank 2, you need 90 points.
From rank 2 to rank 3 you need another 100 points (not 100% sure on this number).

You can:

Bomb a bridge (Success = at least 1 bomb hitting close enough to the bridge to damage it even a little bit)
RTB +30 points
RES (land near any allied town without an AF) +17 points
MIA/KIA +5 points

Note: No matter how many bridges you hit, or how many times you hit, you only get 30 points per sortie, maximum. This is the fastest way to rank up in air force ranks, flying by your self.

Ride as a tailgunner on a bridge run
same points as the pilot (you both get equal amount, but any air to air kills are NOT shared). Assuming your pilot knows what he is doing, this is easy ranking for you.

Bomb enemy AI positions (you have to kill them to score points)
3 points per AI destroyed, if you RTB
1 point per AI destroyed if you RES/MIA/KIA

Fly resupply missions
Find a mission that goes from a HQ unit to a subordinate unit, and ferry airplanes from one to the other, landing safely. These missions are blue in color on the Brigade mission map.
You get 5 points per aircraft delivered. You are overstocking the subordinate unit with supply, which helps the war effort. Overstocking has a limit of +50% per aircraft type, however, so pay attention to the little message you get when you despawn and see your AAR. For example, the receiving unit may only have 20 Havocs normally. You ferry another 10 Havocs to it and score +5 points each time. On the 11th bomber you bring, however, you will get nothing because you have reached the +50% limit (50% of 20 = 10). At that point, you need to pick a different aircraft type and ferry those. I deally, yuwant to find two airfields that are not far apart, and you can quickly and safely rack up some points.

Hunt enemy bombers trying to rank up by busting bridges
Check your radar on the theater map, and see if there is a yellow square lit up whre tehre are bridges, but no active AO/DOs running. This almost always means some guy is trying to rank up by bombing those bridges. Get ina fighter, and go kill him. He'll be low altitude, and probably circling the bridge trying to line up. If not, just put yourself between the bridge and the nearest enemy airfield, and you'll probably find him along that flight path. This advice is something to think about when YOU want to bomb a bridge, too...