Camarillo (KCMA) - Ramp Check!

mshunter said:
Proof that the "kinder, gentler FAA" isn't.

"I'm with the FAA, and I'm here to help. We're not happy until you're not happy."
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Give it time. The poop has to roll down hill and there are a lot of FSDOs downhill from the home office in DC.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
VNY FSDO?
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Yes, my email to VNY FSDO below, sent to Channel Island Aviation and the Waypoint Cafe also:

I flew in for breakfast at the Waypoint Café in Camarillo yesterday (Sunday 8/7). An FAA employee was doing Ramp Checks which I have no issues with. However, it was more like an undercover operation that lasted the better part of 8 hours (9:15am to 4:00pm that I know of) and I take issue with that. Between ramp checks the FAA employee would hide beside the bushes on the west side of the Waypoint Café appearing at each aircraft as they pulled into parking. If you’ve ever been to the Café on the weekend you know at least 150 people were watching the FAA sting operation which generated a lot of bad PR for the FAA. I’m a former FAA employee myself, ATC.

A major concern of mine is the impact to airport business for both the Waypoint Café and Channel Islands Aviation, most the busts were happening at their front doors. Based on group text’s I know people were avoiding the Waypoint yesterday going instead to Café 126 in Santa Paula. Of course fuel sales went to Santa Paula also. Back at Chino Sunday afternoon my regular fly-out friends we talking about avoiding KCMA in the future so they wouldn’t be ramp checked. This could have a lasting effect to Camarillo business.

A friend of mine who was busted for missing paperwork said he was asked to show the date on his ELT battery. That’s out of bounds since most aircraft require tools to get to the ELT battery.

For the record I was not ramp checked, he was busting someone else when I arrived and in the bathroom when I departed. My paper work is 100% in order, my ELT battery is current.

Picture here taken from the Café. https://postimg.org/image/czdls9dx7/
 
Autothrust Blue said:
Have you met a GA airplane that is perfectly airworthy (by the book, not by reality)?

This is not the sort of damn-fool behavior to which I'm referring, either.
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No, but I've seen plenty that looked it in the paperwork. It's true that these guys were probably trying to shotgun violations for stupid stuff, but I was more speaking to the other guys thing about modified aircraft.
 
poser765 said:
Give it time. The poop has to roll down hill and there are a lot of FSDOs downhill from the home office in DC.
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The "kinder, gentler" FAA thing has been around for a few years now IIRC. It's had plenty of time to trickle down to every FSDO. It was probably interpreted differently, just like regulations are at every FSDO. Knowing someone who works at the FSDO that did this, they (FSDO's) do what they want, with very little oversight from OKC, and no real repercussions for acting out of order.

In short "Honey badger don't give a *redacted*!"
 
chrisreedrules said:
I told an FAA inspector "No" once... All he got out of me was a look at my license and medical. He certainly didn't like my answer though. When he asked "why not", I told him we were a government contracted aircraft with sensitive equipment on board and if he wanted a closer look he would have to talk to the DoD. He didn't seem inclined to press the issue... I think us having an entire hangar all to our little ole selves peaked his interest.
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I'm no hero but I told an inspector "No" too. He asked to see my med, cert, Reg, and A/W. As he tried to look past me, I opened the door, reached inside, and handed him the Reg and A/W. Then HELD my medical and certificate so he could see it. He insisted that I hand it to him and I insisted that I would NOT. I ALWAYS carry copies of my cert/med so I offered him a photo copy (I always carry copies); he accepted. Told him he would need more than an I.D. to look in the plane.
He shifted from FFA talk to discussion about the weather. He left and went on to the next plane. No problem after that. Nice guy!!
 
dustoff17 said:
I'm no hero but I told an inspector "No" too. He asked to see my med, cert, Reg, and A/W. As he tried to look past me, I opened the door, reached inside, and handed him the Reg and A/W. Then HELD my medical and certificate so he could see it. He insisted that I hand it to him and I insisted that I would NOT. I ALWAYS carry copies of my cert/med so I offered him a photo copy (I always carry copies); he accepted. Told him he would need more than an I.D. to look in the plane.
He shifted from FFA talk to discussion about the weather. He left and went on to the next plane. No problem after that. Nice guy!!
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Out of curiosity, why wouldn't you hand him your medical and certificate? It's not like you are actually "surrendering" them to him when you do that, despite years of that myth floating around.
 
Physically handing him either is exactly what jammed up Bob Hoover. Despite Hoovers numerous attempts to convince them otherwise, the FFA considered the act one of "surrender". He eventually won the battle but it's one I refuse to fight.
Also, the inspector in question had NO problem with my solution. I held my cert and allowed him to compare the copy with what I was showing him.
 
Yea that strong arming BS only exists because people put up with that crap from the FSDO. Anything they can see in plain view is fair game but you can stop the buck at any time when it starts getting weird. What are they gonna do, start having you pull jugs to confirm that you really did do a top end overhaul?

Here is my pilot cert and medical, here is ARROW, now beat it.
 
Told a Fed "No. He appeared on the ramp in a short sleeved white shirt with a tie on. Dead give away. He then stopped us and asked to see our certs and medicals. We asked to see his ID first. He complained that he left it in the car and didn't want to walk back across the hot ramp. Told him that wasn't our problem. If he was going to ramp check us, he had to prove his ability to do so. As he was digging in his car for it, we took off and waved at him as we flew over the parking lot. Never heard a thing about it.
 
I'm lucky the field office at our home office is great to work with and really helped us on upgrades to the aircraft and getting us RVSM certified.
 
Wow....lucky my passengers changed their minds yesterday about going to KCMA. They said they would prefer somewhere like KSBA and I obliged. As we flew over KCMA I looked down and actually saw that car and wondered what that was about. Glad I avoided that one....too bad for KCMA though, I really hope it doesn't affect their business too much...
 
Cptnchia said:
Told a Fed "No. He appeared on the ramp in a short sleeved white shirt with a tie on. Dead give away. He then stopped us and asked to see our certs and medicals. We asked to see his ID first. He complained that he left it in the car and didn't want to walk back across the hot ramp. Told him that wasn't our problem. If he was going to ramp check us, he had to prove his ability to do so. As he was digging in his car for it, we took off and waved at him as we flew over the parking lot. Never heard a thing about it.
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Couldn't the FAA consider that fleeing from a scene and get after you if they really wanted to?
 
Maybe it's just me, but wouldn't the jerk tactic work negatively in response to authority? Killing 'em with kindness may not get you out of a ticket, but maybe the officer will overlook the broken tail light. Just my theory...
 
Cptnchia said:
Told a Fed "No.
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