Feature

Ramp checks the FAA way

by Bob Collins

A pair of FAA inspectors engaged members of the Minnesota Wing of Van's Air Force  at the group's quarterly meeting at South St. Paul Municipal Airport (SGS) last Saturday.

Oddly, though, neither indicated any knowledge of the RV airplane, which may mean they haven't "ramp checked" many of them. In both cases, they stressed the FAA isn't out to get pilots when conducting ramp checks.

"In 25 years in this business, I've always found ramp checks to be a non-event," said  Gary Pendleton, part of the Flight Safety Team at the Minneapolis FSDO.  "I've seen people run into the hangars yelling, 'the FAA is here!'"

Pendleton said he does 50-65 ramp checks a year, and cited only the case of a KingAir pilot on a flight from Birmingham as a negative experience.  When 10 large people emerged from the plane, knowing the plane had to have had full fuel on the flight, he immediately calculated that the plane was 2,000 pounds overweight. On board he found every annunciator popped, and counted 20 rolled-up, soaking-wet, towels around the cabin (he says he still can't figure that out).

When he asked the pilot to perform weight-and-balance calculations, the pilot shouted, "Nobody does this. this is what you do when you go to Flight Safety once  a year."

It also turned out that both pilots had previously had their pilot certificates revoked.

But that, he insisted, is one of the few problems he's ever had. He indicated the FAA inspector is looking for:

• A pilot certificate
• A medical
• An airworthiness/registration
• Knowledge of whether you're flying Part 91 or Part 135

Pendleton said the first thing pilots should do is ask for the inspector's identification, being careful not to accept a building pass/photo ID as proper identification.

Joining Pendleton was Jim Niehoff of the FAA, who worked for 5 years with Wipaire, also based at SGS.

"In the '80s and '90s, the FAA perceived themselves at the hammer and you were the nail," he acknowledged.  "Now, we don't want compliance through enforcement. It doesn't lead to safety. You can be current and not be proficient."

Niehoff indicated one of the most common violations he sees are pilots flying without medicals. But neither he, nor Pendleton, has an answer for how their jobs will change with light sport aircraft fules (LSA).  When pilots are flying on the basis of a driver's license, will they return to their offices after the ramp check and trace the pilot back to any medical they may have previously had to see if it had been revoked or denied? Both indicated they probably would, but neither had heard much about how LSA will change ramp checks.

While Niehoff seemed to indicate he wasn't interested in playing "gotcha," one method he cited suggested it's not entirely out of the procedure. "I'm working to get information from you before you figure out who I am," he said, telling the story of a pilot who was pulling his plane out of the hangar.

"Going flying today?" he asked." 

"Yep," the pilot asked.

After identifying himself as an FAA inspector, the pilot said, "you got me." He didn't have a medical and although the plane wasn't under power, the pilot had indicated he intended to go flying.

Niehoff reminded pilots that he can do a condition inspection on an aircraft at any time and he doesn't need permission from the pilot. He says he often finds cracked spinners, broken rudders, or hangar rash when perusing planes on a ramp or tie-down area. He leaves a "condition notice" and then follows up with a mailed copy. The condition notice tells the pilot what needs to be done before the plane is airworthy, he said.

"We don't want to pull certificates," he said. "the FAA is all about finding and fixing unsafe conditions."

"It's terribly unfortunate that the teeth in our rules come from the insurance companies and the lawyers. They're the ones that can take your house," he said.

He also asked the RVers, why we have the FARs. "To protect you from yourself.

"And what are the FARs?" he asked. "Lessons learned. Every rule is written because someone made a mistake. Airmen died to give you that rule. They are literally written in blood."

Related Link(s):
See a Flash slideshow from the Minnesota Wing meeting


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