Other in this thread have been giving more specific advice. All I want to add is that, if the idea of this game is fun to you, then I hope you stick with it. Some of us have been playing longer, but no one was born with the knowledge of how to play the game. I think it is fair to say that everyone has struggled with some aspects of it at some point. I know I have.
Elite does have a high learning curve, but its different from the high learning curve in other games. It's mostly a matter of getting a handle on the various details and subtleties.
I used FRAPs to record my first hour in the game. I watched part of it recently, and it is hilariously painful to see how nervous I was pulling out of Trev. Station (though I was also in awe - I'm in space!). I forgot to raise my landing gear before going into the SC and other very basic misteps. That isn't to say I am the best player now, I still make mistakes.
Elite does have a steep learning curve, but once you get up there, its pretty smooth sailing to a career as a BH, trader, explorer - or all three. I hope you stick with it, and enjoy the Galaxy Commander!
I can fly okay but getting a bead on my target with fixed weapons drives me crazy. I wasn't the best combat pilot in Elite '84 back when I was a kid and I'm certainly not the best now that I'm in my 40's and wondering if bifocals might help me improve my aim. Frontier gave us the gimbaled weapons specifically to help folks like me to find the game more approachable... If the OP is having trouble touching the target I say there is no shame in pulling out gimbals.
