Intrepid,
Thank you. I had a heck of a time for a while, but some advice really helped.
Be sure aircraft collisions is set to off.
It is much easier if you use FS recorder to start with and do a straight a level recording at a constant speed. If you're not good at that, use auto pilot (select AP on the Hornet panel and then press BALT) and then Ctrl_R for the speed. For the Hornet, I often use 350 kts.
When you get close to the lead plane, use gentle, tiny changes on your speed. You will have to adjust your speed almost constantly, but in very tiny amounts. Start out by just trying to maintain an easy distance. The closer you get, the harder it is until you get used to it.
Don't refer to your speed in order to maintain formation. Only look at the lead plane and watch the relative motion. For me at first, speed control was the hardest. Then when I got closer, vertical oscillations.
It helped when I purchased a Saitek X52. I had been using the Saitek ST290. Throttle control is not as precise on the ST290.
I have to say that for quite a while I just couldn't get it. Couldn't fly in formation. But I got it in my head if others could do it, then so could I. At a certain point you'll get it. Don't give up. The Hornet is also a difficult plane to fly in formation. It's sensitive in controls and you can accelerate very quickly. For rejoins, the airbrake can help a lot if you're coming up a bit too fast, but in general you shouldn't use it to maintain formation. It's easier to learn to maintain position without it. The pitch-up issue in the Hornet has a very nice fix available here:
http://fsxblueangels.com/downloads.htmlIt's called the "Airbrake/spoiler fix" Once you put that in, the Hornet won't pitch up when you pop the airbrake.
Ed