FAA Ramp Check at Dreams on Wings

F

FightingFalconInstructor

New Member
To all,

You may have read in the on-line aviation press about the FAA Ramp check during the "Dreams on Wings" program in Birmingham AL on 2 May 2009. I would like to put it in perspective as I was one of the "Birmingham 8". simply put, for the last 8 years Dreams on Wings has been flying terminally ill and seriously ill kids in Birmingham on the first Sat in March. It started in the Health South Hangar, courtesy or Richard Scruchy (CEO) and ray Ledbetter (aviation manager for Health South). All the times I have attended, including last year, the FSDO rep was at the Pilot meeting to observe. If he checked our certificates on file with Dreams on Wings or they did a visual inspection of the aircraft, I don't know. I hope they did, as oversight of these events is important (in my opinion).
Anyway, apparently there is some bad blood between one Ops Inspector at the B-ham FSDO and Ray Ledbetter. I don't want to comment on that.

this year, for the first time I am aware of, the FSDO did not have an inspector at the pilot brief. I noticed that but didn't think anything of it. Then, as I was loading kids and family members in my airplane, after the pax were loaded, an Ops Inspector approached me and told me he was conducting a Ramp Check. So, I pulled my license and medical, hoped around and pulled out the Airworthiness and registration and showed it to him. I offered more documents, (POW, wt and balcane, flight instructor certificate) but he said "that won't be necessary. As I was briefing the passengers and getting ready to start engines, I noticed he was doing a visual inspection of the aircraft.
My opinion: the inspector was extremely professional, only delayed us moments, was polite, and thorough. I had completely forgotten about it until one of my instructors sent me the on-line story.
I can only speak to what I know. The FAA took the accusiations of employee mis-conduct very seriously, a representative of the region called me and asked my opinion. I stated pretty much same as above.
What is "interesting" is the Ops Inspectors claim they just "happened to be on the ramp at Birmingham" on a Sat. and observed people loading airplanes with engines running. I did not see that, but I flew 5 flights that day. BTW the event was on the ANG ramp.
The newspaper article quoted "mis-quoted" I think, a pilot as saying pilots won't come if they know they will be ramped checked? that doesn't scare me. I think an FAA presence is a good thing a these flights. BTW, this is not a charity flight per the FARs as not money changes hands.

What do you guys think?
 
I think somebody needs to go easy on the sugar. ;)

Naw just playin man. But seriously, I always new you were a good guy who just happens to be a "FAA regulation abiding aviator". I mean what pilot actually carries a license, medical, airworthiness, registration, and all the other goodies you mention.

LOL, I crack myself up.:laff:

Keep up the good work!
 
You might be the only pilot I have ever heard of that seems to "like" ramp checks. If i knew I had a greater chance of getting ramped at a certain airport or function, i would stay way just like the guy that was quoted by the newspaper! has nothing to do with not following the rules, its just something that I dont look forward too and would definitely like to avoid.

I have been ramped on a 135 flight and they didnt find any problems, but it sure wasnt pleasant!

Saying that, I used to fly with FAA inspectors at my old flight school on a semi regular basis. They rented our twins for currency and required an MEI to go with them because they were not allowed to act as PIC. They were all great people and I enjoyed flying with them (I was always a little on edge though... especially during pre-flight)
 
I've been ramped at least 5 times. I'm not exactly God's most "by the book" aviator, but I've never had a problem. Are there jerk inspectors? I'm sure there are. I've never met one, though. If you treat them like a human being and you're not doing anything blatantly illegal, you'll be fine.
 
Had my first one today... Wasn't as bad as I had thought they were. More to check up on my company than me.
 
sometimes the FAA works for good. Most of the time they don't. Don't get me wrong, I respect the law and the regulations and I also think most of them are there for the safety of myself and others, but there are just too many non pilots working for the FAA that don't understand a bit of what being an aviator is all about. The FAA also over complicates things just to sound professional. What is wrong with simple English? I can guarantee that if it where a requirement to be a pilot to work for the FAA, the FAR/AIM would be half the size because all of the pilots I have known with exception to a small portion are "no BS, to the point" sort of people.

I also think that the major airlines have a tight grip on the corrupt organization that is the FAA that they literally wan't to bring death to general aviation. Aviation should be a right not a privilege to the wealthy few. if anything, the ATC system should pay pilots to fly. What good is Air traffic control without Traffic to control?

Sorry, just had to let it go.
 
Or ATC should pay us not to fly. we would need the same FAA and ATC if there was only one airplane flying in the system! Sometimes I think they want to regulate most us out of business so they have less work to do
 
Being ramped is a non event. It has always been pleasant for me, and believe it or not, I've never once had a bad interaction with the FAA. That being said, I also seem to somehow only get pulled over by the friendly cops.

My point is, a ramp check is what you make of it. They are just conducting their job and you can make it as easy for them as possible.

Not sure of the original details of the event in discussion but seems like the FAA was looking out for the interests of the public.

One of our local ops inspectors spent the weekend at Catalina Island Airport ramping everybody. He turned up 8 people who weren't legal. He was able to ensure arrangements were made to get all the pilots and aircraft home safely. Some eyes were opened wide but nobody got violated. Interesting this was the all pilots were legit, just some of them couldn't prove it. Oops!
 
So is there any legal issue with loading pax with engines running?

Not sure I've seen this in the regs.
 
slushie said:
So is there any legal issue with loading pax with engines running?

Not sure I've seen this in the regs.
Click to expand...

It could fit into the category of 'reckless or careless operation' but you are correct there nothing specific in the regs regard the issue. If there was heli and skydive operators would have a big problem!
 
Right...I was gunna say. I think I've done a "few" hot loads in my day. All with the assistance of someone else to guide the pax, of course.
 
I agree Ops Inspectors conducting Ramp Checks are doing what we expect them to do to insure complaince and safety. Usually the Ops Inspector on a Part 91 operation will give the pilot the chance to find a way home. Alot of that gets down to proving the pilot was not in compliance when they flew in. For example, when someone flies somewhere and the Ops Inspector checks him as the pilot is somewhere on the ramp, if he is missing documentation, the pilot can always claim "it fell out of my wallet while I was having lunch" and it gets very difficult to "prove" a violation. Plus, the overall goal of the FAA is to give pilots the opportunity to get in complaince, if they don't, then they will take further action.
Now, about this ramp check. things that have come to light during the past few months:
1. One pilot was ramp checked before he left his home base on the way to Birmingham
2. the timing of the ramp check. They could have done it during the pilot meeting instead of while we were loading passengers. The same pilot who was ramp checked before his flight to birmingham was also ramp checked at Birmingham. This resulted in a child in a wheelchair waiting for a period of time while the inspector walked thru his King Air. I observed this while I was loading my pax and I just thought they needed something to get the child in the airplane.
3. Some people feel the Ops Inspectors out and out lied to manufacture a reason for the ramp check.
4. The FAA guidelines seem to discourage Ops Inspectors from filling thier Ramp Check quotas during mass fly ins.
5. Since we posed for pictures with the families BEFORE the flights, I find it very hard to believe anybody did hot loading.

So, as we have "peeled the onion" on this it has gotten rather interesting. My point is the FAA oversight should have happened during the pilot's meeting and by observing the operation.

I would really like to know what the Air National Guard General Officer who was present at the fly in thinks about the FAA acusing him of letting an unsafe operation happen on his ramp.
 
FightingFalconInstructor said:
3. Some people feel the Ops Inspectors out and out lied to manufacture a reason for the ramp check.
Click to expand...
Apparently they are unaware FAA Inspectors never need to maufacture reasons for ramp checks since that is part of their job function.

What is frustrating reading or hearing stories like this is the unbalanced reporting. It is similar to listening to someone who was involved in a traffic accident tell about how that other driver caused the problem. I have yet to hear about an accident in which the story teller was the one who caused the problem.
 
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