About Prepware Remote Pilot
I’ve been using Prepware Remote Pilot for about four months now, mostly studying on my lunch breaks and late nights after my kids go to bed. I was using another remote pilot prep app that started glitching out after an update last summer, so I jumped on this one. It’s basically a digital study guide and practice test bank for the FAA Remote Pilot Knowledge Test. The app covers everything from airspace classifications to weather patterns, and it throws a massive question bank at you. I wouldn’t call it flashy or fun, but it’s functional. The developer, Aviation Supplies & Academics, has been around forever making pilot study materials, so they know the content. That counts for something. I passed my Part 107 test last month, so I’m not just blowing smoke here — this thing actually helped me get certified.
Features & Highlights
The main feature is the huge question database. I’d estimate there are over 500 questions in there, covering every topic on the FAA test. You can study by category, take full-length practice exams that mimic the real 60-question format, or do custom quizzes on your weak areas. The app gives you detailed explanations for every answer, which saved me when I kept bombing questions about sectional charts and airport markings. There’s also a progress tracker that shows your scores over time, broken down by subject. I found that useful on Sundays when I’d review my week’s performance. One thing I liked: the app tracks which questions you’ve gotten wrong multiple times and lets you focus on those. It’s not a “game-changer” or anything gimmicky — it’s just a solid study tool that covers the basics. No video lessons, no flashy animations, just text-based studying and multiple-choice practice. For some people that might feel boring, but for me, it was exactly what I needed. The simulated test experience is pretty accurate too; I walked into the testing center and felt familiar with the layout and timing.
User Experience
Here’s the honest truth: the user interface feels about five years old. The buttons are small, the navigation is clunky, and sometimes I’d tap a category only for it to freeze for two seconds before loading. On my iPhone 15 Pro, that’s unacceptable — this phone shouldn’t stutter on a simple study app. But once you get past the initial frustration, the app works fine. I browse through questions during my commute on the train, and it holds up well offline if you download the content beforehand. One Wednesday night I was sitting in my car in a Walmart parking lot waiting for my wife, and I knocked out 30 questions without any issues. The text is readable, the font size is adjustable, and the answer choices are clearly labeled. But here’s my biggest pet peeve: you can’t swipe back to the previous question during a practice test. If you accidentally tap an answer, you’re stuck with it. That cost me a few points early on. Also, the app doesn’t remember where you left off if you close it mid-test. I lost progress twice before I learned to finish a session in one go. Small things, but for a paid app, they add up.
Pricing
This app isn’t free, and it isn’t cheap for what it is. I paid something like $9.99 or maybe $14.99 (my bank statement is buried in October transactions, so I forget exactly). Compared to other study resources out there — like those $40+ online courses or $200 classroom sessions — it’s actually reasonable. But comparing it to other mobile apps in the same genre? It’s on the higher end. There’s no subscription model, which I appreciate. You buy it once and you own it. That’s fair. But I was annoyed that there’s no free trial or lite version. I had to commit money upfront without testing if the app even worked well on my phone. Considering the developer is a known aviation publisher, I get why they charge, but still — a demo would have been nice. For the price, I expected a more polished interface. I’m not saying it’s overpriced, but I’m also not saying it’s a steal.
Updates & Support
I haven’t had to contact support because the app worked well enough out of the box. I checked the App Store reviews before buying, and I saw a mix of praise and complaints. Some people reported crashes on older devices, but my iPhone 15 Pro handled it fine. I’ve gotten two or three updates since I downloaded it, and they seemed minor — bug fixes, maybe a question update. I can’t confirm if the question bank gets refreshed with new FAA regulations because there’s no changelog that tells you what changed. That’s frustrating for a power user like me. I wish the developer was more transparent about update content. If the FAA updates their test next year, I’ll have to re-buy the app or hope they push a free update. The last update was about two months ago, if I remember right. It didn’t break anything, which is the bare minimum I expect.
Security & Privacy
The app requires you to create an account to save your progress and sync across devices. That means your email address and password are stored somewhere on their servers. I used a throwaway email and a unique password just to be safe. The app doesn’t ask for any weird permissions like my contacts or location, which is good. But the privacy policy is buried in the settings menu and written in dense legal language. I skimmed it and didn’t see any red flags, but I also didn’t read every line. For a study app, the data collection seems minimal — just your account info and test results. I’m not sending sensitive data through this thing, so I’m not losing sleep over it. However, I’d feel better if the app offered a way to study completely offline without needing an account. Right now, you can study offline but you still need to log in occasionally to sync. Not a dealbreaker for a test prep tool, but worth noting if you’re privacy-conscious.
