FAA ramp check... anybody ever had one?

azblackbird

azblackbird

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azblackbird
Just wondering if anybody here has ever had a ramp check, and if so what became of it? I can understand if your clearing customs where that might be a possibility, but if your strictly a domestic flyer have you ever had an FAA contact?
 
I only have about 6 years of flying under my belt but I've never gotten a ramp check and the FSDO is right at my airport.
 
We get them at work all the time. Once right after shutdown an FAA inspector was right at my door and asked to see my cert. Asked a few questions and that was all. He showed a bit of ignorance about our MEL and avionics requirements but it's nothing I was going to argue about.
 
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I had one a few years back. I was getting into the rental plane and 3 FAA guys came up to me to ramp check the plane for the 135 certificate the fbo has on it. Well since I was getting in it they asked for my cert and medical. Asked a few questions looked over the plane and 10 minutes later they left and I went flying. Pretty painless actually.
 
Still... three guys to check one plane? I like police, but if three police officers started toward me and ended up just saying "hey, nice car", it's still unpleasant.
 
azblackbird said:
Just wondering if anybody here has ever had a ramp check, and if so what became of it? I can understand if your clearing customs where that might be a possibility, but if your strictly a domestic flyer have you ever had an FAA contact?
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once, when I was a student with my instructor. i was training for my SPL in a C-162 which the FAA rep claimed to know nothing about so I spent about 10-min going over the plane itself with her after first providing all of the various documents. my CFI seemed happy about how well I handled it.
 
azblackbird said:
Just wondering if anybody here has ever had a ramp check, and if so what became of it? I can understand if your clearing customs where that might be a possibility, but if your strictly a domestic flyer have you ever had an FAA contact?
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Yes...once. Looked at my certificates and medical (and my student's), checked the registration and airworthiness cert, general conversation about what we were doing that day....just pilot-talk, not an inquisition.

Bob
 
A few. A couple memorable ones. The following is the second most memorable ramp check.

One fed came up to me first thing in the morning. She wanted to do a route check. It is about 10 degrees outside so I have her wait inside where it is warm while I do the run up. Right tach not working. So I came back and told her the tach is not working. I have called the mechanic and they will be here in a couple hours to fix it. She was happy and went on her way.

Now, I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I would rather work on a plane in a nice, warm hanger instead of out in the wind and snow. So I push the plane into the hanger and wait.

An hour later the chief pilot calls me to ask me if I am flying the plane. No its sitting here in the hanger just like I left it. Wait, does she think I am flying the plane with an open write up? Did she get out of her car to see if the plane is in the hanger?

I just busted out laughing and told the chief pilot to tell her to get off her butt and look for the plane.

20 minutes later she comes in the door. Now, there is a window that looks into the hanger from the passenger waiting area. A person can see in the hanger from the front door. And here she comes, all fired up and demands to know where the plane is.....

I just bust out laughing again. I mean roll on the floor trying to catch a breath laughing. I mean laughing so hard I start farting kind of laughing. All the while she is demanding to know where the plane is. The more she demands, the louder she gets and the harder I laugh.

Finally the cargo guy points to the window. She gets pi$$ed and leaves.

30 minutes later the CP calls me again. He tells me I was rude to the non observant fed girl. I start laughing again. He starts laughing. He tells me I should be nice to the feds.

I never saw that female fed again.

The others went much better.
 
Once, in a rental 172. A couple of minutes and we were on our way.
 
I came close, but he passed me up for someone with a GoPro mounted to the fuselage. I never heard how that panned out.
 
Couple dozen times...mostly look at paperwork and leave.

Often there will b more than one Fed...usually an OPS guy and a maintenance guy. Occasionally a trainee gets thrown in the mix, so yeah, three is not unheard of.

I've gotten dinged twice for the wrong N-number on the airworthiness certificate (fortunately both times before we flew the airplane), and one maintenance Fed gave me a hard time once because she didn't understand the relationship between 50 psi tires and the 10,000 pounds of airplane that was sitting on them.

For the most part they're just filling quotas, not looking hard for stuff to violate you on.
 
Pretty much same as above. Numerous times, usually just paperwork and W&B. Only once did they make a big deal about a few things on an old 310. He said to tell the boss to get them fixed and sent me on my way.
 
Yes, 7 years ago. Showed the required papers, FAA guy said "nice plane", and we all went on with our day. I think it took 10 minutes, if that.
 
I once had a ramp check while performing Line Mechanic duties for a turboprop 135 carrier. I was checking the fuel sumps with a 1 qt. glass mason jar, the inspector had an issue with that because if dropped and broken, it would be a hazard to tires. My reply was that a 1 qt. glass jar was exactly what was called out in the aircraft mfgr's general maintenance manual........end of ramp check and conversation.
 
Once, over 30 years ago. I was maintaining a G-1 when two FAA Inspectors showed up. One looked over the cockpit and logbook and the other looked over the exterior and wheel wells. One commented "well maintained aircraft" before they left.
 
Once. As I understand it, the FSDO guy was going to ride along on an IFR checkride to check the DPE. To kill time during the oral they ramp checked every plane the operator had. I was just there to go for a burger run. Took maybe 15 minutes. No biggie.
 
I haven't had the pleasure of a ramp check by the FAA yet. But I did in Argentina. I recently flew a 172, with an instructor friend, from Buenos Aires down to Patagonia. In Neuquén, we were ramp checked by the equivalent of the FAA (it's called ANAC here). First he checked our license and medical cert, no problem. He asked for my logbook, when I pulled out Foreflight he had no idea what a digital logbook is. Then he checked the airplane, very thoroughly. I even had to dig out the first aid kit (I didn't realize that was required, but luckily we had it). My instructor was listed as the PIC on the flight plan, so unfortunately he got the "infractions":

* Maintenance Logbooks not in the airplane (yes, apparently they're supposed to be in the airplane here)
* Plane didn't have a radio operating license (even for a domestic flight)
* Fire extinguisher gauge wasn't in the green section (this was a legitimate safety issue - we bought a new extinguisher the next day).
 
Naw, the FAA never does them; they don't exist. It's all a hoax to get people to comply to the FAA.
 
Maintenance logs in the plane. Heh. Well, at least if you crash, they can't blame the maintenance. I suppose if you're required to carry your personal log book, they can't check currency either.
 
Yes. very early on before I knew what was and wasn't important, I just landed at an airport that was closed for a hot air balloon festival.
I didn't check my NOTAMS or even listen to the ATIS that day.

Landed and the guy came over and checked our paperwork and all the stuff mentioned above.
I learned a great deal that day.

Nothing ever came of it.

Check your NOTAMS
 
Once, the started to ask for all my papers until they say my Masonic ring on my finger, once they found out I was a mason they told me they were sorry, apologized for wasting my time and went on their way.
 
Shepherd said:
Been flying since 1964.
If I've ever been ramp checked, it was so long ago I don't remember it.
Of course, I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning.
Draw whatever conclusion works best for you.
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What did you have for breakfast before your checkride in 1964?
 
Most of the ramp checks I have been through were just checking paper work. I always try to turn the conversation away from the plane and to something else. Which is pretty easy to do when feds like to talk.

And most were just filling quotas and were not a big deal.
 
rQUOTE="JonH, post: 2259186, member: 29897"]I came close, but he passed me up for someone with a GoPro mounted to the fuselage. I never heard how that panned out.[/QUOTE]

For FAA, mine was the same. I entered the pattern and the FBO indicated that FAA was there and singled me out for ramp check. In the pattern I got cut off, then entering the FBO the same pilot cuts me off at the door. FAA guy asked if I had my certificate and medical, I indicated yes and he let me go on my way without me even showing them. They saw the "inside" move the other guy did (and my patterns are tight) and had more interest there:eek:

Now here on the border it is common to get sheriff/police/LEO stops as well as Border Patrol. If at night, they wait in the dark until just prior to shutdown then haul rear and block you. It's real aggravating and I've told them because initially it isn't clear who they are with headlights aimed at you.

Worst was Deming NM at night. Barney Fife (sheriff) told me I was flying without a flight plan and landed illegally (there's a Notam for all lights on due to drone activity at night in that area quite often). Stuck a headset on his head and reconnected with ABQ CTR who indicated what FF was and that a flight plan was not necessary. He then tried to tell me my Nav lights were backwards and that the red one is supposed to be on the right:confused:. Had to stay cool, because a pilot that landed in Lordsburg NM just up the road was arrested and held over the weekend without charge a couple of weeks earlier.:mad:

Edit: On the Deming flight, the sheriff wouldn't allow the phone to be used as he thought I was calling a friend and not flight service or ABQ by phone. Insisted on the radio connect ...
 
[/QUOTE] For FAA, mine was the same. I entered the pattern and the FBO indicated that FAA was there and singled me out for ramp check. In the pattern I got cut off, then entering the FBO the same pilot cuts me off at the door. FAA guy asked if I had my certificate and medical, I indicated yes and he let me go on my way without me even showing them. They saw the "inside" move the other guy did (and my patterns are tight) and had more interest there:eek:

Now here on the border it is common to get sheriff/police/LEO stops as well as Border Patrol. If at night, they wait in the dark until just prior to shutdown then haul rear and block you. It's real aggravating and I've told them because initially it isn't clear who they are with headlights aimed at you.

Worst was Deming NM at night. Barney Fife (sheriff) told me I was flying without a flight plan and landed illegally (there's a Notam for all lights on due to drone activity at night in that area quite often). Stuck a headset on his head and reconnected with ABQ CTR who indicated what FF was and that a flight plan was not necessary. He then tried to tell me my Nav lights were backwards and that the red one is supposed to be on the right:confused:. Had to stay cool, because a pilot that landed in Lordsburg NM just up the road was arrested and held over the weekend without charge a couple of weeks earlier.:mad:

Edit: On the Deming flight, the sheriff wouldn't allow the phone to be used as he thought I was calling a friend and not flight service or ABQ by phone. Insisted on the radio connect ...[/QUOTE]

Yeah, near the border can be lots of fun. Try being a medevac flight with controlled substances on board and watch the drug dog go nuts....:lol::lol::lol:
 
Zeldman said:
Yeah, near the border can be lots of fun. Try being a medevac flight with controlled substances on board and watch the drug dog go nuts....:lol::lol::lol:
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Wow! I thought those flights would get cut slack:eek::(
 
They do. Usually they will just stop and talk for a while. But the dogs don't know that.

One flight the patient bled out and blood was dripping out on the ground. I could not pay anyone to look inside the plane...:lol::lol::lol:
 
When I was flying up in Juneau for an infamous outfit.....the chief pilot was out talking to the FAA and we all had these walkie talkies and dispatch gets on the radio and tells everybody to be careful and comply with all rules and regulations as the FAA is ramp checking everybody....needless to say the CP was ****ed as he had his radio on full blast.
 
I've had several all by the same inspector. The most recent one was just to say "Hi" and we had a nice catching up conversation. All but one have been from my school's POI showing my students what a ramp check was by doing it on me.

I've only had one real one even if it was by the same person. We just happened to land at the airport she was assigned to that day.

I did several security ramp checks during my operations internship. But I never wrote anyone up. I'd just stand there until they put their SIDA badge on correctly and thank them for their time.
 
danhagan said:
Wow! I thought those flights would get cut slack:eek::(
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Thread drift alert, but this is an opportunity to tell a good story...

I fly out of VPC - Cartersville, GA, which is the home of Phoenix Air. They fly Lears, G-1's, and G-III's on various cargo and other operations, largely for Uncle Sam.

Anyway, they were the ones who returned Ebola patients to the US via a specially configured G-III. In a G-III Africa - East Coast is a 2 stop flight - Africa - Canary Islands - USA. The pilots on those missions reported that if you *ever* wanted to bring in contraband, those flights were the opportunity, because none of the customs people anywhere wanted to go near the airplane or the crew, much less peek inside.
 
Getonit said:
When I was flying up in Juneau for an infamous outfit.....the chief pilot was out talking to the FAA and we all had these walkie talkies and dispatch gets on the radio and tells everybody to be careful and comply with all rules and regulations as the FAA is ramp checking everybody....needless to say the CP was ****ed as he had his radio on full blast.
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In northwest Alaska we would call other planes on company. "Come on in, we are waiting for ya, and the coffee is hot."
 
I was in Pittsburgh in 1974 on a cross country from Wichita. Weather was overcast with 1,000 foot ceilings but was only 1,000 foot thick and pireps had cavu on top. Had a 1948 Cessna 140 that I had put a custom panel in. I filed to go on top instead of busting scud for the next 250 miles to where it was vfr. When I walked up to the plane the black hat was there waiting for me. Asked for my license, medical and then checked out the bird. I was thinking he was pretty skeptical until he learned I was an A&P and Cessna employee then he wished me a good flight. And it was, vfr on top is still great fun!
 
Last summer, Fed came out to the glider club as I and a student were preflighting the 2-33 and waiting on the tow plane.

So I took the lead. Showed my certificates and explained to my student about ramp checks. Then I asked the Fed if he had glider experience and he said no. So I took the opportunity to explain what is different, every glider is different. Some require the manual in the glider, some don't. This one did not. All the required data is on placards, W&B, speeds, checklist. Need to know the glider and what the TCDS or POH states as required.

Then a helicopter landed and he was gone.
 
pmanton said:
Better stay out of the East, They hit Masons in the head in the East
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That is not true :no: we run the world and if they hit any one of us we will buy the bank that owns their mortgage and foreclose on that mutha! :yes:
 
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