Yes, I have been ramped checked once, almost twice and got a call from
the FAA twice. My dad and I flew into a airport with another pilot to
pick his plane up from the radio shop. Where there is a FAA office on
the field. We where in a Cessna 205 just out of annual that day!!! We
where getting some gas at the FBO when a nice man in a sport shirt come
up and asked where we where from and if that was our plane. My dad told
him. Then the nice man asked who was the pilot? It was my dads plane
so may dad said "me". The nice man said he worked for the FAA and could
he see his license. My dad said "Really I have been flying for over
25 years and this is the first time anyone has asked me for my license"
and gave it to him. The very nice man looked at it. Then the very nice
man ASKED if it was OK to look at the airplane. This happened in the
70s before computers, aviation lawers and the word "ramp check". My
dad said" yes" and being very proud of his very clean 205 said it's just
come out of the annual and I have the logs everything should check out
great. Being a newer pilot very proud of my license and wanting to
show it off at that time I was going to say" I'm a pilot also". Thank
god I didn't. This is when the very nice man went back into the FBO
office to call another FAA person to come over who is better at reading
logs. We went though 2 hours of holy hell!!! They went thought
everything!!!! All they found was a faded compass card and something
with the weight and balance. I can't remember what it was it's been so
long ago but I think it was the wheel fairing were on or off or maybe a
new strob or something like that.
The almost ramp check happened at a airport cafe. I flew in and
another very nice pilot in the cafe started talking to me about the
nice day and small talk. I thought he asked alot of silly questions
for a pilot so luckly I asked him what he did for a living. He got a
funny look on his face and said he worked for the FAA. I said "OH"
(pause......) Then I said "Boy I think I drank to much coffee. I need
the washroom". I walked right passed the washroom right to the plane
and took off. (we'll I didn't say were I was going to use the wash room
did I!!!) Got on 122.8 and said to the world" I think there doing ramp
checks at the cafe". I have been told the FAA stopped going to airports
with cafes for ramp checks because it hurt there income. If any of you
have info. on this let me know.
Flying three ercoupes in a tight formation is is a large, loud
object. People have called the FAA saying we were to low over there
house or school. The FAA knows me and my planes. They have a good
idea of where most of the planes are in there area if there parked
outside. Them double tails sure help them find me!! They call the
airport get your phone number and call you. When someone calls the FAA
on you the FAA has to do something with it. They will call or send a
letter. They only want to call. When they call you they will ask if
you were flying on that day. If they don't have your N number. If they
say do you own N#### and we're you flying that day, then someone got
your number and turned it in to them. ALWAYS be HONEST with them over
the phone no matter how shock up you are.. If you flew that day tell
them!!! They are calling you because they do not want to send a bunch
of letters to you. They want to end it with a phone call. Their just
as sick of all the paper work as us!!! After they call you, they call
the person who called, and tell them what they found out. Then it's
over!!! Thats it!!! It's over!!! If you tell them stories or lie
they have to keep looking and thats no good. The FAA called me one day
and said "Someone said you flew a planes over their school at 300".
(This school is a one mi from the airport on base leg). I said to the
FAA "We would never fly that low we are always over 1000' AGL. (We
didn't get into where the school was at the time. I found the school
after the call). He said "OK" I can follow it up from there and that
was it!!! The same thing happened with a home owner( who by the way
lives on a airport) and it was about the same way. They had my 3'' N
number on that one, but thats another story!!!! So to cap it off!!!
Having flown all over the country in a ercoupe for 32 years I have
found your odds of getting a ramp check are better if you stop for fuel
at a airport where they have a FAA office. The FAA will not check the
planes on their own field much. The planes would all leave. So I
think they go after the transits. A trip is the worst time for a ramp
check and we all know why. The FAA is sneaky. They don't come walking
up to you with their new suite and polished shoes and say we're from the
FAA and we would like to do a ramp check. Their going to be some small
blonde girl or nice man with a t-shirt and talk and talk to you awhile
about you and your plane than their going to say "OH by the way we're
from the FAA is it OK to do a ramp check? Nancy Reagon said it best
"Just say NO". gene
<<attachment: winmail.dat>>
