Comparison

Aviate vs Private Pilot Test Prep

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

Head to head
About

Aviate

Features
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Learn to fly with confidence! Aviate is a digital flight training companion built for New Zealand student pilots. Study in short sessions, practise realistic radio calls, revise aviation theory and prepare for your next flight or flight test. Whether you're working towards your PPL or keeping your knowledge sharp between flights, Aviate makes it easier to learn a little and often. **DAILY FLIGHT** Build your aviation knowledge with short, structured lessons that fit into your day. Each lesson combines clear explanations with interactive questions to help you understand and remember key concepts. Free users can complete up to three Daily Flights each day. Aviate Pro unlocks unlimited Daily Flights, so you can keep learning at your own pace. **FLIGHT RADIO TRAINING** Build confidence making radio calls before you step into the aircraft. Work through realistic New Zealand radio scenarios, listen to example transmissions and practise your own calls with recording and feedback. **COMPASS TURNS** Practise compass turning calculations with interactive PPL and CPL exercises. Work out the direction of turn and compass rollout heading, then receive instant feedback to develop your accuracy and confidence. **PRACTICE ROUND** Test your knowledge with quick question rounds covering New Zealand PPL topics. Identify gaps in your understanding and reinforce what you've learned through regular practice. Free users can practise every day, while Aviate Pro unlocks unlimited Practice Rounds. **FLIGHT TEST GROUNDWORK** Get ready for the ground component of your flight test. Work through larger question sets designed to test your knowledge, identify areas for revision and build confidence before your assessment. Aviate Pro unlocks unlimited Groundwork practice. **LESSON LIBRARY** Need to revise something specific? Aviate Pro lets you jump straight to any published lesson in your selected topic. Revisit key concepts, prepare for an upcoming flight or revise before an exam without affecting your normal learning progression. **ADVANCED CIRCUIT** Take your learning further with additional scenario-based challenges that reinforce important concepts and develop your understanding. Advanced Circuit is available with Aviate Pro. **BUILT FOR NEW ZEALAND PILOTS** Aviate has been developed specifically for New Zealand aviation training, using relevant terminology, procedures and radio phraseology. Created by a New Zealand commercial pilot and flight instructor, Aviate combines practical flying experience with a focus on clear, engaging learning. **START FREE. LEARN MORE WITH PRO.** Get started with free daily learning and practice. Aviate Pro unlocks unlimited Daily Flights, Practice Rounds and Groundwork, access to the full Lesson Library, and additional training exercises. Whether you're studying at home, waiting for the weather to improve or preparing for a flight, Aviate helps you make every spare moment count. Learn smarter. Fly with confidence. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Private Pilot Test Prep

Features
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Pass your FAA private pilot written the first time. 900+ practice questions across all nine knowledge areas, timed mock exams in the FAA's published shape, and spaced repetition that brings back exactly the questions you got wrong. Works completely offline, with no account and no sign-up. WHY THIS ONE Every question cites its source. Not "trust us" โ€” a handbook chapter, an AIM paragraph, or the regulation section itself, shown right there with the explanation, so when something surprises you, you can go read the primary text. Every source this app draws on is a work of the U.S. government and therefore public domain, and each one is listed with its official link at the end of this description. THE MATH IS ACTUALLY CHECKED Density altitude. Pressure altitude. Weight and balance. Fuel burn and endurance. Groundspeed and time en route. Crosswind components. Glide distance. Every computable answer in this app is recomputed independently before it ships, so the number you are taught is the number that checks out. Performance and weight-and-balance is where candidates lose the most marks, and it is drilled here rather than skimmed. NINE KNOWLEDGE AREAS Pre-Solo Basics โ€” the pre-solo essentials, spanning every area Regulations โ€” 14 CFR Parts 61, 68 and 91 Airspace & Requirements โ€” Class A through G, minima, equipment Weather & Meteorology โ€” theory, hazards, METARs and TAFs Aircraft Systems & Instruments โ€” powerplant to gyros Performance & Weight-Balance โ€” the calculations, worked Navigation & Flight Planning โ€” pilotage to the wind triangle Procedures & Airport Operations โ€” towered, non-towered, night Human Factors & Aeromedical โ€” aeromedical factors and decision-making HOW IT WORKS Tap an answer and the explanation appears immediately with its source. Get one wrong and spaced repetition schedules it to come back before you forget it. Set your test date and the home screen counts down to it. A readiness score tells you when you are actually ready, built from your own results โ€” never a made-up number. The timed mock runs 60 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes and scores against the FAA's published 70% pass mark, so test day is not the first time you have sat one. TEXT AND COMPUTATION ONLY Every question here is answerable from its own text or by working the numbers. Nothing asks you to read a chart you cannot see. WORKS ANYWHERE No account. No sign-up. No ads. No signal needed โ€” the whole question bank lives on your phone, which matters in a hangar, on a ramp, or in the back of a flight school between lessons. SOURCES โ€” THE COMPLETE LIST Every question is derived from these and no others, all works of the U.S. government in the public domain: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK), FAA-H-8083-25: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak Airplane Flying Handbook (AFH), FAA-H-8083-3: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM): https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/ Title 14 CFR Parts 61, 68 and 91: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61 Advisory Circular AC 00-6, Aviation Weather: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards โ€” structure only, never a source of fact This app is an independent study aid. It is not a government entity and does not represent one. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or any flight school, training provider, or course publisher. Exam requirements are set by the FAA โ€” verify current requirements with your instructor or testing center. Completing this app does not grant any certificate, rating, or endorsement, and practice scores are not official results. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ โ€” Privacy Policy: https://kanac.github.io/syanac-legal/

Screenshots

Aviate4 screens
Private Pilot Test Prep4 screens

Verdict

The call

Aviate and Private Pilot Test Prep are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Aviate sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.99 per month and Private Pilot Test Prep sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $39.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Aviate versus Private Pilot Test Prep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAviatePrivate Pilot Test Prep
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0.0 โ€” better16.4
Further details โ€” not scored
Size46 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNICHOLAS HOWARDAnthony Chui

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Aviate

Subscriptions1
  • Aviate Pro$6.991 Month
3 purchases

Private Pilot Test Prep

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$39.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$119.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$199.99

Questions

Is Aviate free?
Aviate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Private Pilot Test Prep free?
Private Pilot Test Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Aviate or Private Pilot Test Prep have ads?
Neither Aviate nor Private Pilot Test Prep shows ads.

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