Comparison

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep vs Piper PA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep

Prepare for FAA Flight and Ground Instructor knowledge tests with a comprehensive database of actual questions and detailed explanations. Stay up-to-date with free updates and ensure your readiness for various instructor ratings.

Highlights
  • Actual FAA questions
  • Free updates
  • Illustrated explanations
  • Compatible with FAA ACS
  • Comprehensive question database
  • Share results with instructor
Features
Read full description

Spend less time studying and more time flying! This is the FAA Flight and Ground Instructor (CFI) version of GroundSchool, our FAA knowledge (written) test preparation featuring up-to-date questions, free updates, and illustrated explanations written by a professional team of pilot examiners and instructors. GroundSchool is fully compatible with FAA ACS (Airman Certification Standards) and our editorial team is working to keep it so as ACS continues to evolve. Don't be fooled by imitators! Competing apps use only the limited set of questions that the FAA publicly releases via its website - that is not enough to adequately prepare you for your test! Our GroundSchool app, on the other hand, features a much more comprehensive database (typically about 2-4 times the size of the demo FAA public one) of actual and current FAA questions that you likely can and will be asked on the actual test! This along with our detailed, professional explanations and easy to use interface are major reasons why pilots have come to trust GroundSchool. Features: * Actual FAA Questions Current and Valid for Right Now. As soon as you install the software, use the 'update' feature and the software will connect to our servers, grab the latest questions, images, figures, and explanation content, and you'll be good to go. * Detailed Explanations written by an experienced editorial team of examiner and instructor pilots. * All Charts and Figures Included * Share Your Results with your instructor * Compatible with all FAA "ground school" classroom-based courses This CFI version of GroundSchool will prepare you for any or all of the following tests: * FIA - Flight Instructor Airplane * FRH - Flight Instructor Rotorcraft Helicopter * FIG - Flight Instructor Glider * AFA - Flight Instructor Airplane (added rating) * AFG - Flight Instructor Glider (added rating) * BGI - Ground Instructor Basic * AGI - Ground Instructor Advanced * FRG - Flight Instructor Rotorcraft Gyroplane * GFA - Flight Instructor Rotorcraft Gyroplane (added rating) * HFA - Flight Instructor Rotorcraft Helicopter (added rating) * FOI - Fundamentals of Instruction * MCI - Military Competence Flight Instructor With Dauntless Aviation's GroundSchool, you don't need to worry: * Our material is UP TO DATE. No matter what date is listed here in regarding the 'Release date', this date refers to the program itself only. Once you get the program on your device, use the built-in update feature and it will connect to our servers and download the latest and greatest version of the test prep content and our explanations that we have available. To learn more about this, please visit our website. * We pride ourselves on the quality of our explanations. This is not some idle boast - our explanations are more detailed and more illustrated than that of ANY other FAA knowledge test provider, period. * Tens of thousands of people have used our products to prepare for their FAA knowledge tests. Ours is a system that works. Fundamentals of Instruction? Yes! This software will prepare you for the FAA Fundamentals of Insruction (FoI) exam that is required of most flight and ground instructor candidates. You do not need to buy this software 'twice' if you want to study for the FOI and another test, for example, the FIA Flight Instructor Airplane. Rather, you can switch through the included tests as often and as much as you'd like. Military Competence Instructor? Yes! This software will prepare you for the MCI military competence instructor test that is required to convert US military flight instructing experience into FAA instructor ratings. What you need to do is select the MCI test within the software and then go to take the test. For details on this test, please visit our website. Good luck on your test!

About

Piper PA

Study aircraft systems and limitations with interactive diagrams and detailed descriptions. Practice normal and emergency operations, and explore a detailed cockpit illustration. This app serves as a reference for aviation training.

Highlights
  • Interactive system diagrams
  • Normal and emergency operation practice
  • Detailed cockpit illustration
  • POH information organization
  • System limitations noted
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Piper PA-44 Training is an innovative new way to study aircraft systems and limitations. System description sections take the main information from the POH and organizes in easy to navigate chapters. Interactive diagrams for the major systems allow the user to tap on various switches, levers, circuit breakers, and buttons and watch how those inputs change the diagram. Users can practice normal and emergency operations, correlating practical knowledge with the POH descriptions. Descriptions and limitations are also noted for various parts of each system throughout the diagram. The interactive cockpit poster allows you to view the entire cockpit with a highly detailed illustration. If you tap on a part of the cockpit you will see an in-depth description of that part of the cockpit. DISCLAIMER: The Piper PA-44 Training App is to be used as a reference only and cannot be used for flight or to replace formal training.

Screenshots

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep4 screens
Piper PA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Piper PA at $9.99 against FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep's $69.99. Piper PA also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.1). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep costs $69.99 and Piper PA $9.99 up front. FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Piper PA asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Piper PA holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Piper PA has 388 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep's written reviews are positive against 78% of Piper PA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep ships an update monthly, Piper PA every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep versus Piper PA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFAA CFI Flight Instructor PrepPiper PA
Price$69.99$9.99 — better
Rating4.0 (21 ratings)4.8 (388 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.4% of reviews77.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings21388 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#199 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better14.1
Further details — not scored
Size422 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDauntless SoftwareAircraft Training Aids, LLC

Customer experience

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep

All ratings21 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral9.5%
Negative19.0%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive70.4%
Neutral9.3%
Negative20.4%

Piper PA

All ratings384 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral0.8%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Piper PA

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Works very poorly on the iPhone
  • Landing gear system is wrong
  • Nose gear in wrong position
  • Typos and spelling errors (e.g., 'cabin hear', 'string loaded')
  • Information on up limit switches for gear system may be incorrect

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add G1000 functionality
  • Include poster of G1000 and fuel injected models
  • Add prop governor system
  • Update app with more information and diagrams
  • Fix typos and spelling errors

In-app purchases

1 purchases

FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep

One-time1
  • Audio Review$19.99
None

Piper PA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep free?
FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep costs $69.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Piper PA free?
Piper PA costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep or Piper PA?
Piper PA is rated higher. FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep averages 4.0 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Piper PA averages 4.8 from 388 ratings.
Do FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep or Piper PA have ads?
Neither FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep nor Piper PA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep or Piper PA?
FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep ships an update monthly, and Piper PA every 4 months. Most recently, FAA CFI Flight Instructor Prep was updated on October 29, 2026 and Piper PA on November 1, 2026.

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