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FAA ramp check survival

I have been ramp checked twice.

Both times occurred while securing the plane after a flight.

I was minding my own business and getting things straightened out when a man I’ve never seen before walks up to me and starts talking about the weather and asking me a bunch of questions.

Getting the ramp checked out by the FAA isn’t really a big deal, as long as you get your shit straight.

The first time, it took me a minute to realize what was going on. The second time, he knew what was going on and was prepared for it.

During the ramp check process, the FAA inspector will check a number of things. Most of it is common sense and these are things you should already know from your flight training; that is, most of this should be a review for you.

And if not, go get your old CFI and kick ’em.

So what should you do and what should you expect during the process?

  • Know who you are talking to. Ask for the person’s name. Find out what he or she is doing there. They could be anyone. And this after 9/11, everyone needs to know who’s walking the flight line.

  • If the person is an FAA inspector, you need to know as soon as possible. If so, ask to see your FAA identification card.

Personal documents

When you board the plane to fly, FAR 61.3 requires you to have three personal documents with you.

  1. Your Pilot Certificate
  2. Your CURRENT medical certificate <--- must be the original certificate issued by the airman's medical examiner and be CURRENT
  3. Your driver’s license or other government-issued ID <--must have your picture on it.

These are the first things the Inspector will want to see, so you better make sure you have them.

logbook

Although the FAR does not require you to carry your logbook (unless you are a student pilot), the inspector may request to see it.

I always tell pilots not to bring their logbook when they’re on a flight for two reasons:

  • If you have an accident and it is destroyed, you will have no documentation to prove your coin and flight time. So, to fix this problem, I suggest you keep a photocopy of your logbook somewhere else.

  • If the inspector asks you to review your log book, you must show him or her the entire log book. Rather than have the inspector review more than he needs to, he would rather have the opportunity AFTER the ramp review to simply give them photocopies of the pages they would like to review.

Required Aircraft Documents

The inspector will want to check the aircraft documents during the ramp check. FAR Part 91 requires certain documents to be on board.

Do you remember ARROW?

A – Certificate of Airworthiness (number N must match AC)

R – Registration Certificate (N number must match AC)

R – Radio Station License (only if flying outside of the US)

O – Operator Limitations (Aircraft POH)

W – Weight and balance data (usually also in the POH)

Remember this: an inspector cannot inspect the interior of your aircraft without your consent. So instead of having to consent, I recommend that you personally remove the requested documents from the aircraft and give them to the inspector.

Graphics

Pilots are required by FAR Part 91 to be familiar with all available information for each flight. Therefore, an inspector may also request to see the aeronautical charts that he has used on his flight. Make sure the charts you have on the plane or in your flight bag are up to date and appropriate for your flight.

This may seem like a “no-brainer,” but you’d be surprised how many pilots fly sectional charts that are several years old or instrument approach plates that are more than 56 days old.

Interacting with the inspector

During the ramp check, do not offer any information. Be respectful, but don’t give the inspector more information than is necessary.

Don’t try to argue with the Inspector either. You won’t win the argument anyway. Instead, you’ll just make them angry and usually just get you into more trouble. So do not do it.

Play nice and show some respect.

Don’t worry!

While you will most likely never find yourself going through a ramp checkpoint, it is important to remember that if you do, you can survive.

-Shawn Hardin IFC/CFII

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