That was my first time ever playing in Glasshouse. I had to download it a few days beforehand and pre-fly it so I wouldn't be lost in-game. I have played in Polaris before, but it had been so long I had to refresh my memory and pre-fly that one, too. I enjoyed playing in both levels immensely!
They
are better than WA2. I also thought about what you said and decided to fly a Pyro instead of a Pheonix. I figured if it didn't work out for me I could always switch out mid-game. I never switched. I think I benefited from the fact that I always fly the Pyro in anarchy games etc., so I am more familiar with the handling. It also has better shields, which is nice.
I think I will be using the Pyro more often in future CTF games.