The founding deal, in plain terms.

No fine-print games. Here’s exactly how the Founding Pilot program works, what you keep, and what’s expected of you.

1. 1. Applying isn’t a reserved seat.

   Raising your hand starts the process — it doesn’t make you a founding pilot. Your place is secured only when you complete setup: confirm your email, get approved, and set up your account. The cohort opened at 50 and was widened when demand ran past it, so finishing setup is what counts, not being early. Apply but don’t complete it and you simply aren’t in the program yet.

2. 2. Free to start.

   Founding Pilots get Pro free through October 1 — no card required.

3. 3. The 25% floor is yours to keep.

   Every Founding Pilot who joins keeps a permanent 25% discount on Pro. That’s the floor — nobody who joins walks away empty-handed, contribution or not.

4. 4. The big awards are earned by contribution — and they’re awarded over five months, not all at once.

   The bigger rewards are earned by contribution: actively flying with SkySuite and giving real feedback (bugs, wishes, what’s missing). Here is the whole schedule, in order.

   1. October 1, 2026 — the audit. The top 20 on the Flight Path leaderboard are retained as the founding 20. The audit sets the 20 who compete; it doesn’t hand out the awards. Finish below the 20 with real activity and you still earn the Founder badge and keep your permanent 25% — only the subscription awards are limited to the 20.
   2. Nov 1 and Dec 1, 2026, then Jan 1, Feb 1 and Mar 1, 2027 — the 5 lifetime seats. One lifetime seat (Pro free for life) is awarded in each of those five months, from within the 20. Win one and you leave the lifetime running, so five different pilots take the five seats — and you keep your login and can keep contributing.
   3. March 1, 2027 — the free years. When the final lifetime winner is announced, the remaining 15 of the 20 win a full year of Pro free. That year runs from March 1, 2027 — not back at the October audit.

   Signing up alone does not win the year or the lifetime award.

5. 5. Your seat depends on participation.

   A Founding seat is for active pilots helping shape the product. If you join but don’t contribute, the seat isn’t guaranteed — it can be reassigned to an active pilot. You’d keep your 25% floor, but forfeit the seat and its shot at the year/lifetime awards.

6. 6. This is a live beta.

   SkySuite is in active development. Features may move or change as we build — but your work is never lost.

7. 7. Survey & AI credits are pay-as-you-go.

   Survey processing and AI credits are always pay-as-you-go, billed by real use and separate from your Pro subscription. Your plan includes a monthly credit allowance — 250 credits a month on Pro, 25 on a free account — which does not roll over. Credits beyond that allowance are bought as you need them. The founding awards follow the same rule: they cover the Pro subscription and its monthly allowance; usage beyond it is pay-as-you-go.

8. 8. The Founder badge is earned at the audit.

   At the October 1 audit, the Founder badge is earned by contribution, not rank. Every founding pilot with real activity keeps the badge and their program membership — there is no seat limit on the badge and nobody loses it for placing low. Activity means real contribution: tickets, missions, meetings, deliveries. Time-in-service and profile setup don’t count. Show up at the audit with zero activity and you don’t hold it; contribute anything at all and the badge is yours for good, whatever tier you land on down the road. Either way you still keep your permanent 25% (term 3).

The short version: join and you keep 25% for good, no conditions. Contribute anything and you hold your seat and the Founder badge through the audit. The Oct 1 audit then sets the 20 who compete: 5 lifetime seats go out one a month from Nov 1, 2026 to Mar 1, 2027, and the remaining 15 win a full year of Pro free that runs from March 1, 2027 — not back at the October audit.