PatternCall vs PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PatternCall
Practice real air traffic control radio calls with personalized scenarios based on your home airport and callsign. Receive instant, detailed feedback on every transmission to build confidence and accuracy. Offers structured learning paths for various flight operations, from basic communication to advanced IFR procedures.
- Personalized ATC scenarios
- Real airport frequencies
- Instant element-by-element feedback
- Multiple difficulty modes
- Structured learning paths
- Offline functionality
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Stop dreading the mic. Practice real ATC radio calls at YOUR home airport, with YOUR callsign and real local frequencies — then get instant, word-by-word feedback on every transmission. Build the muscle memory so when you key the mic, the right words come out. PatternCall is the only radio communication trainer built around the airport you actually fly out of. Free to start with the Radio Basics path — upgrade to Pro for every scenario. PERSONALIZED TO YOU Enter your N-number and home airport. Every scenario uses your callsign and real frequencies from your field — so you practice exactly the calls you'll make. WHAT YOU GET - Training scenarios across structured learning paths - Real airport frequencies, airspace classes, and local procedures for 100+ US airports - Three difficulty modes: word panel (easy), hints only (medium), and free-type (hard) - Auto difficulty that levels up as you improve - Instant element-by-element feedback after every transmission — callsign, readback, runway, frequency, and more - ATC audio with ICAO phonetics and proper aviation number pronunciation LEARNING PATHS - Radio Basics — The Four W's, CTAF self-announce, readback rules - First Flight — Your first towered departure and arrival - Traffic Pattern — Downwind, base, final, touch-and-go - Ground Ops — Taxi clearances, ATIS copying, IFR clearances - XC VFR — Flight following, frequency changes, VFR diversions - Advanced VFR — Class C/B transitions, special VFR, weather - IFR Ops — Approaches, holds, vectors, missed approaches - Emergencies — Mayday, pan-pan, lost comm, diversions WORKS OFFLINE All scenarios run on-device. Practice on the ramp, in the FBO, or anywhere without cell service — no mic, no talking to your phone in public. FREE TO START The Radio Basics path is free. Unlock all scenarios and learning paths with PatternCall Pro: - PatternCall Pro Monthly — $5.99/month - PatternCall Pro Annual — $49.99/year (save 30%) Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Manage or cancel from Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions on your iPhone. PatternCall is a supplemental practice tool. It is not a certified flight training device. Always follow your CFI's guidance and current FAA procedures. Privacy Policy: https://patterncall.com/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://patterncall.com/terms.html
PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep
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Prepare for your PPL(A) theory exam – with questions aligned to the ECQB-PPL syllabus and a research-based learning algorithm. **2,100+ Exam Questions Across 11 Categories** The questions are aligned to the ECQB-PPL syllabus (European Central Question Bank for PPL) for PPL(A), PPL(H), SPL, and BPL and are ICAO-compliant. They cover the entire exam syllabus: - Air Law (ALW) - Human Performance (HPL) - Meteorology (MET) - Communications (COM) - Principles of Flight (PFA/PFH/PFB) - Operational Procedures (OPR) - Flight Planning (FPP) - Aircraft General Knowledge (AGK) - Navigation (NAV) **Smart Learning with FSRS** The FSRS algorithm (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) plans your reviews for optimal retention. Questions you know well appear less often. Difficult questions come up more frequently. Learn efficiently and retain everything. After each answer, rate your confidence: Hard, Good, or Easy. This improves your next review schedule. **Exam Mode** Simulate the real exam: choose categories and question count, answer under realistic conditions, and get a detailed category-by-category breakdown. **Learning Objectives in Context** After each question, see the corresponding learning objective from the ECQB-PPL syllabus. Understand not just the right answer, but the context behind it. **Track Your Progress** - Daily streaks and goals keep you motivated - Detailed statistics show progress per category - Exam readiness indicator tells you when you're prepared - Bookmark difficult questions and practice them separately **Try for Free** Start with a demo quiz (10 questions) and 2 free categories (Air Law, Human Performance). Unlock all questions, all categories, and exam mode with Premium. **Source of Exam Content** The ECQB-PPL is an international question bank for private pilot licenses (PPL(A/H), SPL, BPL), based on European regulations and ICAO-compliant. The questions in this app come from the licensed training part of the ECQB-PPL; the exam questions used by the authorities are confidential and not included. - EASA: https://www.easa.europa.eu/ - ICAO: https://www.icao.int/ - For national exam rules, contact the aviation authority of your country. This app is not affiliated with EASA or ICAO and is neither operated nor endorsed by EASA, ICAO, or any national aviation authority. **Subscription and Auto-Renewal** Premium is an auto-renewable subscription (durations: 1, 3, 6, or 12 months). Payment is charged to your App Store account. The subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; the renewal charge is applied within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time in your App Store account settings. Current prices are shown in the app. Privacy Policy: https://latc-ppl-training.web.app/en/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: PatternCall at daily against PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep's every 3 weeks. PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. PatternCall sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $22.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PatternCall ships an update daily, PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PatternCall | PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Broken Cloud Group LLC | Clesk Digital |
In-app purchases
PatternCall
- PatternCall Pro$5.991 Month
- PatternCall Pro Annual$49.991 Year
PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep
- Premium 1 Month$22.991 Month
- Premium 6 Months$39.993 Months
- Premium 6 Months$69.996 Months
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- Premium 12 Months$89.991 Year
Questions
Is PatternCall free?
Is PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep free?
Do PatternCall or PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep have ads?
Which is updated more often, PatternCall or PPL Pilot Training & Exam Prep?
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