Ramp Check Updates?

[tom]

I just did a search of the group for ramp checks, and the last entry
was 4 years old. Anyone want to share a recent ramp check story?

tom

ps in visiting over 75 airports, I've yet to be checked

[Marco Leon]

When I posted about being Ramp Checked during my training seven years
ago, the general feeling was that pilots get ramp-checked on the
average of once per flying career. Many have never gotten checked in
30+ years of flying.

Being on my first long x-c when it happened, I was a prime candidate to
screw something up but it was relatively painless and took all of 3-5
minutes. I had a rental and the aircraft even had only a temporary
registration cert. If you got your AROW covered, you're 95% there.

Marco

tom wrote:
> I just did a search of the group for ramp checks, and the last entry
> was 4 years old. Anyone want to share a recent ramp check story?
>
> ps in visiting over 75 airports, I've yet to be checked

[mad8]

isn't it ARROW?
A = Airworthiness Certificate
R = Registration
R = Radio Station License
O = Operators Instructions
W = Weight & Balance
Marco Leon wrote:
> When I posted about being Ramp Checked during my training seven years
> ago, the general feeling was that pilots get ramp-checked on the
> average of once per flying career. Many have never gotten checked in
> 30+ years of flying.
>
> Being on my first long x-c when it happened, I was a prime candidate to
> screw something up but it was relatively painless and took all of 3-5
> minutes. I had a rental and the aircraft even had only a temporary
> registration cert. If you got your AROW covered, you're 95% there.
>
> Marco
>
> tom wrote:
> > I just did a search of the group for ramp checks, and the last entry
> > was 4 years old. Anyone want to share a recent ramp check story?
> >
> > ps in visiting over 75 airports, I've yet to be checked

[mad8]

oops, i forgot you don't need the radio license unless youre going out
of the US
Marco Leon wrote:
> When I posted about being Ramp Checked during my training seven years
> ago, the general feeling was that pilots get ramp-checked on the
> average of once per flying career. Many have never gotten checked in
> 30+ years of flying.
>
> Being on my first long x-c when it happened, I was a prime candidate to
> screw something up but it was relatively painless and took all of 3-5
> minutes. I had a rental and the aircraft even had only a temporary
> registration cert. If you got your AROW covered, you're 95% there.
>
> Marco
>
> tom wrote:
> > I just did a search of the group for ramp checks, and the last entry
> > was 4 years old. Anyone want to share a recent ramp check story?
> >
> > ps in visiting over 75 airports, I've yet to be checked

[Gig 601XL Builder]

mad8 wrote:
> oops, i forgot you don't need the radio license unless youre going out
> of the US

Not to worry it still spells AROW. It just spells it wrong.

[Marco Leon]

mad8 wrote:
> isn't it ARROW?
> A = Airworthiness Certificate
> R = Registration
> R = Radio Station License
> O = Operators Instructions
> W = Weight & Balance

I included the other "R" for Radio License in the 5% because if you
happen to have just landed from a flight from Canada when you're being
ramp-checked, then it may be an issue.

Marco

[xxx]

It's over a year old already, but here it is:

I was taking an instrument course at an intensive school, one that may
have earned a shaky reputation with the FAA. Corner-cutting was
rampant.

As I was preflighting a Cessna, a couple of FAA inspectors came up and
announced a ramp check. Two middle-aged guys, polite but with a slight
whiff of authoritarianism.

An instructor came out just as they were beginning. They decided to
check only his papers and leave mine unseen.

Those checked out and they went over the airplane. I followed one of
them around, generally getting in the way and asking silly questions.
It turns out he had been an Alaska bush pilot before going into
government work and really did know his way around a Cessna. He pointed
out a few things to me that I had not always been checking on my
preflights.

Oddly enough, they pronounced that old dog to be in good shape and said
we were free to take off. The last thing I heard them say was something
like "let's see what else we can check on here," as they walked over to
one of the twins.

They were cordial and knowledgeable throughout the entire procedure and
only delayed us by a few minutes.


tom wrote:
> I just did a search of the group for ramp checks, and the last entry
> was 4 years old. Anyone want to share a recent ramp check story?
>
> tom
>
> ps in visiting over 75 airports, I've yet to be checked