MockDPE
Mike ThompsonMike Thompson
Reece BarrettReece Barrett
Robert ChenRobert Chen

Walk into your checkride
ready for anything

Full, voice-based AI mock checkrides

today’s topic:
weather & alternatesinstrument approachesholds & clearancessystem failuresemergency opsweather & alternates
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6,222 checkrides
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Practice with real weather

MockDPE pulls live METAR and TAF data from airports of your choice, then works the weather conditions into scenario-based exam questions.

KPDK 231153Z 09006KT090° / 6 ktWind 2SM2 milesVisibility BR OVC006600 ftCeiling 14/13 A2989
Mike Thompson

“You've got a 600-foot ceiling and two miles of visibility in mist at your destination. Talk me through whether you're required to file an alternate.”

Find your gaps before the DPE finds them for you

Every answer is scored against the FAA Instrument ACS. After each session, you'll get an area-by-area debrief so you know exactly where to focus your study time.

Your last session, by Area of Operation
IPreflight Preparation
IIPreflight Procedures
IIIATC Clearances & Procedures
IVFlight by Reference to Instruments
VNavigation SystemsRNAV approach setup
VIInstrument Approach Procedurescircling minimums
VIIEmergency Operations
VIIIPostflight Procedures

We show our sources

Every regulation question comes from a real FAR, AIM, or Advisory Circular lookup, and you can see it.

See how it works
Mike Thompson

Mike Thompson

“Walk me through the weather minimums for that alternate.”

regulation 91.169 — Alternate Airport Filing Requirements — 1-2-3 Rule and Alternate Minimums

Under 14 CFR 91.169, an IFR flight plan must include an alternate airport unless the destination meets the 1-2-3 rule: (1) the destination has a standard or special instrument approach procedure prescribed in Part 97, AND (2) the appropriate weather reports or forecasts (or any combination of them) indicate that, for at least 1 hour before and 1 hour after the ETA, the ceiling will be at least 2,000 feet above airport elevation and the visibility will be at least 3 statute miles. When an alternate is required, the forecast weather at the alternate at the ETA must meet, at minimum: 600-ft ceiling and 2 SM visibility for an airport with a precision approach available, or 800-ft ceiling and 2 SM visibility for an airport with only non-precision approaches available, or — if the airport has no instrument approach procedure — weather allowing descent from the MEA and landing under basic VFR. These are alternate-filing minimums only; the published approach minimums still apply if the flight actually proceeds to the alternate. Non-standard alternate minimums may be published on a per-airport basis (marked 'A' with a triangle on the airport's IAPs and listed in the Terminal Procedures Publication); 'NA' indicates the airport is not authorized as an alternate.

My AI philosphy

Kevin
Flight Instructor & Backend Engineer · kevin@mockdpe.org

I’m Kevin, a flight instructor and backend developer by trade. I built MockDPE for a few reasons. First, I wish I had something like this when preparing for my own checkrides. “Back in my day” (haha I feel old), I was stuck with YouTube videos and flashcards. At the time, these were great resources, but they weren’t interactive.

Second, AI has enormous potential, but I rarely see it being used the “right way.” AI has been instrumental (pun intended) in helping me build this project. From scaffolding, to styling, to DPE personas, to speech augmentation, this is not something I could’ve built alone even a few years ago.

Obviously everyone has their opinions related to AI, myself included, and I’ll be the first to admit that AI is far from perfect. However, I’ve taken great care to ensure that the application of AI in MockDPE is grounded in accuracy, quality, and user benefit. My goal is to harness AI in a way that adds value, not “slop” to flight training.

I chose instrument training as the “foundation” for MockDPE because it’s reliant on dynamic scenarios. This is a strength of AI, and I wanted to use this to my advantage. If there’s something I’m doing well, I’d love to hear from you. If there’s something I could (and should) be doing better, I’d be equally appreciative of hearing that too.

— Kevin

Frequently asked questions

What is MockDPE?
MockDPE is an AI-powered FAA checkride oral exam simulator, currently covering the Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, and Private Pilot oral exams. You practice with an AI Designated Pilot Examiner that asks scenario-based questions using live aviation weather and real US airports, then evaluates your responses against the relevant FAA Airman Certification Standards (ACS).
Is MockDPE a substitute for a real checkride?
No. MockDPE is a study and practice tool. Only an FAA-authorized Designated Pilot Examiner can issue a real certificate or rating. MockDPE is built to help you arrive at the real checkride better prepared.
How realistic are the oral exam questions?
Every session pulls live METAR and TAF data from aviationweather.gov, builds a scenario around real US airports, and weaves the actual conditions into the DPE's questions. Answers are evaluated against the relevant FAA ACS (Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, or Private Pilot) with regulatory references cited where relevant.
Do I have to pay to try MockDPE?
No. You can run one limited mock checkride session for free without entering a credit card. Premium plans unlock unlimited checkrides, focused-area practice, diagnostics, lessons, and gouge upload.
What DPE personas are included?
Three: Mike Thompson (retired airline captain, conversational and patient), Reece Barrett (active DPE, thorough and fair, closest to a real checkride), and Robert Chen (military background, strict and demanding). Pick the one that matches your real DPE, or train against a harder one.
Does MockDPE cover the full Instrument ACS?
Yes. Every Area of Operation in the FAA Instrument Rating ACS is covered, and your performance is scored per area so you can see exactly where to focus your study time.
How does MockDPE compare to other AI checkride tools?
Several AI-powered checkride prep tools exist as of 2026, including ChatDPE, CheckrideAI, Checkride.bot, CheckrideReady, and Part Time Pilot. Most cover multiple certificates (Private Pilot through CFI) at varying depth. MockDPE's philosophy is depth per rating, not breadth of ratings: it currently supports the Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, and Private Pilot oral exams (not CFI), but goes ACS-task-deep on each one, with full ACS task tracking, live-weather scenario generation, and adaptive follow-up questioning. A full source-cited comparison of every tool we could verify is at mockdpe.org/vs.

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