Sporty’s Overhauls Study Buddy Test Prep Apps for iOS

Updates Include Sleek New Design and Powerful Flashcards

Preparing for an FAA knowledge test has always been a rite of passage for pilots and for years, Sporty’s Study Buddy apps have been a trusted, standalone tool for accomplishing written prep on your iPhone or iPad. Sporty’s has rolled out a major overhaul across its entire lineup of Study Buddy test prep apps. Featuring an edge-to-edge interface redesign, enhanced offline figure handling, and a dramatically upgraded flashcard engine, the apps deliver a faster, more modern prep experience on iPad and iPhone.

A Modern, Focused Interface

The first thing you’ll notice upon launching the app is the clean, clutter-free look. The entire navigation architecture has been reworked to put study material front and center with high-contrast text, smooth transitions, and seamless Dark Mode integration. Whether you’re squeezing in a 10-minute study session on your phone or running full simulated exams on an iPad, readability and touch targets have been significantly improved.

Smarter, More Robust Flashcards

Active recall is where long-term retention happens. The biggest functional leap in this release is the overhauled Flashcards module:

• Active Recall First: Flashcards now present only the question, prompting you to formulate the answer in your head or out loud before flipping the card to review the verified answer and CFI explanation.
• Smart Sorting: You can triage cards on the fly into “Know It” or “Still Learning” buckets.
• Targeted Sessions: When you’re ready to review, you can launch dedicated sessions containing only the cards you marked as “Still Learning”—eliminating wasted time reviewing concepts you already have down cold.

Built for Modern Hardware (Including Duo)

The updated app takes full advantage of modern iOS screen adaptations, including support for dynamic text scaling and multi-posture devices like the iPhone Duo:

• Book & Dual-Screen Modes: When reading test prep supplements on dual-screen devices, toolbars and page counters automatically adjust without clipping page controls or arrows.
• Interactive Folding Actions: Foldable and dual-screen users can study a flashcard on the outer display and hinge the device open/closed to reveal the answer.
• Offline Testing Supplements: Every chart, legend, and diagram from the official FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement is bundled directly inside the app. High-resolution figures scale cleanly, support pinch-to-zoom, and display side-by-side with questions even when you’re completely offline.

Three Proven Ways to Study

Under the hood, the app continues to rely on question explanations written and verified by Sporty’s team of CFIs:

1. Study by Topic: Build custom study blocks by picking individual subject areas or whole categories (e.g., Weather, Airspace, Regulations).
2. Review with Flashcards: Rapid-fire memory drills to lock in numbers, airspace minimums, and definitions.
3. Timed Practice Exams: Full 60-question simulations scored to the FAA’s 70% passing threshold, complete with category-by-category scoring breakdowns and the ability to re-test only missed questions.

Sessions save automatically in the cloud/local history, letting you put down your iPad and pick right back up where you left off on your phone.

Download Links

The updated apps are available as standalone purchases on the Apple App Store for just $14.99 each:

• Private Pilot Test Prep (Study Buddy) on the App Store
• Instrument Pilot Test Prep (Study Buddy) on the App Store
• Commercial Pilot Test Prep (Study Buddy) on the App Store
• Sport Pilot Test Prep (Study Buddy) on the App Store

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Eric Radtke

It was his first airplane trip at age seven that made Eric decide to become a pilot. “While boarding the airplane, a flight attendant noticed my interest in the flight deck and urged me to go talk to the pilot. I give a lot of credit to that pilot for my career choice.” Eric earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and went on to an airline career. He learned to fly at Sporty’s as part of the University of Cincinnati’s Professional Pilot Program, an initiative he later directed. Eric serves as General Manager of PilotWorkshops and Director of Sporty’s Media Network, overseeing aviation publications and digital content. He also serves as a captain in a Cincinnati-based corporate flight department.

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