# Pilots: Ascension — Idle airline & space tycoon > Deep aviation idle incremental strategy game with fleet management and pilot progression. (iPhone/iPad app by Sabya Das.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilots-ascension/id6780322889 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Sabya Das](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895706830) - Category: Games - Price: $0.99 (on sale, was $2.99) - Rating: 5.00/5 from 5 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 3 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-06-23 - Data updated: 2026-09-06 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilots-ascension/id6780322889/reviews.md ## What is Pilots? Your fleet keeps flying while you sleep — build from a grass airstrip to interstellar flight. Pilots: Ascension is a deep aviation idle and incremental strategy game. It starts with a hand-cranked fuel drum and a wood-and-fabric contraption that has no business leaving the ground. Your job is to get it into the sky anyway. You're the quartermaster of a tiny airfield. Crank fuel, recruit crew, and coax the first machines into the air. Then build an industry: depots, mines, smelters, and workshops; assign aviators to the jobs that suit them; and research your way up the altitude spine, from the Dawn of Flight and the Propeller Age into the Jet Age, with Rockets, Orbit, and deeper eras still ahead. It keeps the incremental loop you already know (gather, build, assign, research, trade, prestige) and adds mechanics built around flight: • Flight Operations: seven stories and 21 mission stages spanning all seven eras. Choose relief service or scientific survey and fly the routes that bring each mission home. • Flight modes: trade speed, fuel, risk, and science output with Standard, Economy, Express, and Survey plans for each aircraft. • Route mastery: successful landings earn improved payouts and lower risk on familiar routes. • Fleet and routes: build aircraft and fly cargo, passenger, and mission routes for funds, materials, and reputation. • Dynamic weather: four seasons plus live conditions. Tailwinds, fog, and thunderstorms can ground flights and shift production. • Pilot ranks: aviators gain experience and climb from Rookie to Wingman to Veteran to Ace, multiplying their output. • Final Flight: review your run and bank Legacy, Ace Points, and Renown before beginning a New Horizon. Choose a Founding Charter or an optional challenge to shape your next ascent. No timers nagging you, no ads, no in-app purchases, and no account or login. Your save lives on your device and syncs across your devices through iCloud. It autosaves often, and offline progress is fully simulated when you come back. Start with a windsock and an empty field. Climb one horizon at a time. ## Key features - Idle and incremental strategy gameplay - Fleet and route design - Dynamic weather system - Pilot experience and ranks - Prestige reset for permanent upgrades - Offline progress simulation ## Recent user reviews (2 of 2) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilots-ascension/id6780322889/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Very well done! *2026-09-01* Great idle game at a great price! I’m really enjoying my time with this one. I can highly recommend giving this game a try!! ### 5/5 — Great for Aviation enthusiasts *2026-06-26* Super engaging without constant grinding. ## Frequently asked questions about Pilots ### What is the launch price for Pilots: Ascension? Pilots: Ascension is available for $0.99 through June 30th, after which the price may increase. This is a one-time purchase. ### Does Pilots: Ascension have ads? No, Pilots: Ascension is completely ad-free. The game description explicitly states 'no ads'. ### Can I play Pilots: Ascension offline? Yes, Pilots: Ascension fully simulates offline progress. You can play without an internet connection, and your progress will be accounted for when you return online. ### What devices support Pilots: Ascension? Pilots: Ascension is supported on Mac, iPhone, and iPad devices. Your save data syncs across your devices via iCloud. ### How does the prestige system work in Pilots: Ascension? The 'New Horizon' prestige reset banks Legacy and Ace Points, unlocks permanent upgrades, and makes each subsequent playthrough faster. It allows for continuous progression and replayability. ### What age rating does Pilots: Ascension have? Pilots: Ascension has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for a wide range of players. ### How often is Pilots: Ascension updated? The latest version is 1.0.1, last updated on July 7th, 2026. This suggests a recent and active development cycle for the game. ### Does Pilots: Ascension require an account to play? No, Pilots: Ascension does not require an account or login. Your save data is stored locally on your device and can sync via iCloud. ## Version history (last 4 releases) ### 1.2.0 — 2026-09-05 Flight Operations: new missions and new ways to fly. • Seven story operations across all seven eras, with 21 mission stages. Choose relief service or scientific survey, then fly the required routes with suitable aircraft. • Four flight modes: Standard, Economy, Express, and Survey. Choose speed, fuel efficiency, risk, or science output for each aircraft. Native fleet menus also apply modes to matching aircraft together. • Route mastery: successful flights earn three levels of improved payouts and lower risk. • Mission rewards stay reserved when storage is full. Offline flights count, with no mission deadlines. • Final Flight previews, Founding Charters, optional challenge runs, safer save recovery, and smoother fleet management. ### 1.1.0 — 2026-08-04 AFTERBURNER — the biggest update yet. • Flight Plan: objective chains guide you from first crank to the Jet Age and your first New Horizon — with an interactive First Solo onboarding. • The Transonic Program: a six-step flight-test arc that gates supersonic flight behind real feats, not just research. • Jet-era industry: jet fuel refining, new buildings, jobs, refinements, and behavioral records that reward how you fly. • Aerology forecast: see the next few days of weather and plan clear-window operations; storms and fog now shift production. • Route economics: payout, fuel burn, and live risk per route — make informed dispatch calls. • Daily Contracts: three fresh goals each day. No streaks, no penalties — just reasons to fly. • Prestige as ceremony: your New Horizon is now a proper Final Flight with a full run debrief and Founding Charters that make each run play differently. • Feel everything: ETAs on every cost, welcome-back Flight Debrief, record and era celebrations, instrument-panel gauges, and a smoother, juicier cockpit throughout. • Optional anonymous usage stats (off by default, opt-in) to help tune difficulty — no personal data, ever. Hotfixes from launch feedback: • Fixed a research deadlock that blocked the Orbital Age — Nuclear Flight is now reachable (thank you, r/incremental_games) • Big performance improvements for large fleets — smoother late game, less battery drain • Bulk controls: build ×10/×100/Max, bulk trades, and grouped fleet management with bulk scrap • Clearer Ace Point carryover math in the New Horizon ceremony ### 1.0.1 — 2026-07-07 Improves VoiceOver and screen reader support across navigation, resources, crew controls, cards, queues, and settings. ### 1.0 — 2026-06-23 No release notes. ## More apps by Sabya Das - [Exchange: The Long Position](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exchange-the-long-position/id6780404533) All apps by Sabya Das: https://appshunter.io/developer/1895706830 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-06.*