Ukrainian developer Artem Aleksandrov created the mobile application PPL Exam Prep — PilotTestZone for preparing for the theoretical pilot exam. The idea for the service arose during his own studies in Warsaw, when he was preparing for tests from the aviation regulator.
Ukrainian developer Artem Aleksandrov created the mobile application PPL Exam Prep — PilotTestZone for preparing for the theoretical pilot exam. The idea for the service arose during his own studies in Warsaw, when he was preparing for tests from the aviation regulator.
As Artem told dev.ua, his interest in aviation began with drones. «I was always drawn to the sky. At first there were drones, but over time I wanted to be there myself, and not look through the screens of my glasses. So I went to study to be a pilot in Warsaw,» he says.
During the training, one of the key stages was the theoretical exam — a series of tests on various topics. Sample questions and answers from the regulator were available only in PDF files, which, according to the developer, were inconvenient to use for preparation.
To simplify the preparation, Alexandrov decided to create a small application.
He loaded PDFs of questions into it and created an interface that mimics the actual exam format. After selecting an answer, the program immediately shows whether it is correct.
The development took only a few weeks. «At first, I didn’t even think about putting it on the App Store. But after I passed all 9 topics (essentially 9 separate tests) the first time, I thought that the app could help more than just me,» says the developer.
After successfully passing the exam, Alexandrov decided to prepare the app for a public release. Together with the girl, they refined the design and interface, and then published the program on the App Store.
The application is aimed at a very narrow audience — people preparing for private pilot exams.
The developer does almost no product promotion. Among the few channels are a profile on Threads, which is automatically maintained using another of his projects, as well as one post on a Polish aviation forum.
Despite the small audience, the application was partially monetized.
The story of PilotTestZone is a typical example of how a developer’s personal need turns into a digital product. Initially, the application was created as a tool for his own exam preparation, but later it became useful for other future pilots as well.
