Get at least one flying lesson!
There is an awesome book about the early days of aviation called "A Passion for Wings" by Robert Wohl. In the introduction he thanks someone for giving him the good advice to get some flying lessons before writing the book. He recognizes that this made a huge difference to his understanding.
Learn from his experience and before you write any more of the script get round to the local flying club and try at the very least one flight with an instructor where you are in the left hand seat. Believe me it will make a difference!
I have read awful books where writers talk about pilots "stalling the engine" and similar rubbish. It would be like writing a romance without having any experience of the topic.
Maybe you don't have the resources to get a PPL, or maybe you don't have the medical, but you can still have a few lessons and get a feel for what it is like to handle the controls. At the same time, by talking to real pilots you'll also get a feel for the language and culture of the caste.