How MockDPE content is researched, drafted, and cited.

The byline

Articles are attributed to MockDPE, the publishing organization under Burrow Studio LLC. MockDPE is a small operation, not a large editorial team, and we don’t invent named author personas. Google’s January 2025 Search Quality Raters Guidelines update specifically flagged fake author profiles as a low-trust signal, and we don’t want to deceive any reader about the source of a study guide. The About page carries the founder’s individual byline; all other content is published under the organizational attribution.

Source priority

For any factual claim about FAA regulations, ACS standards, instrument procedures, or aircraft equipment requirements, we cite sources in this priority order:

1. 1
   FAA primary publications: the Instrument Rating ACS (FAA-S-ACS-8C), the Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15B), the Instrument Procedures Handbook (FAA-H-8083-16B), the Pilot/Controller Glossary, and applicable Advisory Circulars. All hosted at faa.gov.
2. 2
   14 CFR Part 91 as published in the current eCFR at ecfr.gov (with Cornell LII as a mirror when eCFR is unavailable). Articles link directly to the specific subsection for any regulatory claim.
3. 3
   Aeronautical Information Manual as the primary operational reference for ATC procedures, approach procedures, and weather products.
4. 4
   Interpretive sources (AOPA, Boldmethod, EAA, AVweb) are used only for context and explanation — never as the source of a raw regulatory or factual claim.

AI assistance disclosure

Articles are drafted with AI tooling working from the FAA primary sources above. AI is fast at synthesis and citation formatting, but it is not infallible — it can hallucinate, misremember a section number, or paraphrase a regulation in a way that subtly changes its meaning. That is why every regulatory claim links to the primary source: so you can verify it directly rather than taking the article’s word for it.

Do not rely on a MockDPE article as the sole source of truth for a checkride answer or an in-flight decision. Use it the same way you would use any third-party study guide: as a starting point that points you back to the official FAA document. Every article carries an AI-assistance disclosure footer noting the sources cited, the last update date, and the corrections email.

Corrections policy

If you spot an inaccuracy — a wrong section number, an outdated regulation, a misstated minimum, anything — email corrections@mockdpe.org. That mailbox is read by the founder. Confirmed errors are corrected and the article’s “last updated” date is bumped.