I was flying to hook up with a friend who is hangered just a few minutes away, when he called me on the radio and said to stay away as he was getting a ramp check.
He had to walk back to the hanger for some tools, while they looked his plane over, and while in the hanger he heard me call inbound on his hand-held and warned me to stay away. He had just yelled clear and was just about to start his engine when they pulled their vehicle in front of his plane so he couldn't move. He passed just fine but they didn't check very deep or he would have been screwed, he didn't even have a sectional.

This was at a private airstrip out in the boonies, be careful.

Private Strip in the Boonies???? And nobody is in the hospital or jail???

I am sure that if he wouldn't have passed, he would be hiding the body tonight...

Sounds like someone forgot the federal no trespassing signs. Unless they accept federal money at that strip

Here is the sign I have at the drive into my strip:

Does that make you a Redneck John?

And, just as a point of clarification, a sectional is not required for flight by the regulations.

MTV

But, if you have a sectional, it is supposed to be current????????????

No.

Thanks

Call me a big bad dummy, but I thought you had to have the latest sectional in the plane for the area your flying in???? So I've been buying new sectionals for the heck of it when they more than likely don't change much????

I now see on the Los Angeles sectional that Pilots are "Encouraged" to use the Los Angeles VFR Terminal Area Chart for Flights at or below 10,000'. I'm assuming that's the same for all other big city's???

I have a couple of these signs, they seem to be very effective and make people ponder a bit before opening a door, even, well especially people that know me!

Mongo wrote: He had just yelled clear and was just about to start his engine when they pulled their vehicle in front of his plane so he couldn't move.

It was my understanding they they could not impede or delay a flight for a simple ramp check without having probable cause of a violation, un-airworthiness, or danger which is why a ramp check is usually conducted after you land. I also understood that they could not search your aircraft without probable cause...although they can ask for and require the proper paperwork, they cannot enter your aircraft without permission and can only inspect by what they see from looking through the windows.

Am I wrong on this understanding? Mike...any light to shed on this one?

I was told by FAA personel to never hand over my license when asked to show it...if you hand it to them it can be considered surrendering it and they can keep it...all you are required to do is show it to them and likewise can require them to show thier credentials as well.

Ah... The good old days. My step father had crop dusted for at least 10 years with a student permit and PA 18 with a bed sheet sewn and glued over a hole in the fuselage when he was turned in by a johnny come lately to the spraying game with a new Spray Coupe to pay for. The guy decided to eliminate the competition by turning him in to the FAA. The inspector and some kind of assistant showed up at the farm from Rapid City Regional. The inspector asked the step father if he called that airworthy. He replied, I guess so, it flies. When asked if he had been the one crop dusting he answered, yeah. Did he have the proper license and inspections performed? Of course the answer was no. The inspector told the assistant to have him surrender his pilot license to which the step father said, "Don't have one." Then the inspector told the assistant to have him surrender his medical. So the assistant asked for his medical. "Don't have one of those either." The assistant and the inspector did not know what to do next and just told him not to do that again. They then left. True story.
Things have changed a lot since the 1960's and 9-11. It's a different world.

The PIC should have "all information" pertinent to that flight... that's how you are responsible for everything.

If you have sectionals, they'd better be current -- I've had the feds say right out, you're better off without one chart in the a/c rather than have old ones.

Some people like to make things difficult --- some are great to deal with.

But, YOU are the one responsible.

For a personal flight by a private pilot, you don't need a sectional. You do need to know everything there is to know about the flight you're about to take, including weather, airspace requirements, and alternate landing sites. Commercial flights are another story.

ASW.

Nope, there is recent FAA written guidance specifically addressed to the issue of whether a chart in an airplane must be current. That guidance--again from the FAA--specifically stated that if a chart in an airplane during flight is not current, that does not constitute a violation of the regulations.

Now, what should concern us, and suggests that we SHOULD have a current sectional is that if you violate an airspace boundary, or blunder into an area talking on the wrong frequency, for example, AND that results in an accident, incident or deviation, the FAA MAY cite you for careless and wreckless operation--to wit, you didn't avail yourself of all available information prior to flight, per the regulations. But they would NOT cite you for failing to have the proper charts.

If I know the country like the back of my hand, I don't need ANY chart, assuming airspace, frequencies, etc aren't an issue--even on a long cross country. But, if anything bad happens, they're going to ask the question: Do you have a chart, and if so, is it current? If I run off a runway in a cross wind, they are not going to care a whit whether the chart I have is current, cause that had nothing to do with the incident.

As to an inspector driving in front of a plane while the pilot is getting ready to depart....THAT is a really bad idea on the part of the FAA guy. If I were him, I'd get a really good helmet.

And, the answer is NO, an inspector cannot, without probable cause of an unairworthy condition or violation, impede a flight. A friend of mine, who was a 135 operator (not based at that airport), had an FAA type drive his car in front of his C207 as he was fixing to depart FAI one evening. Joe didn't know it was an FAA type (he said ). The guy wouldn't move the car, even though the airplane's engine was running, and he signed to the pilot to shut down. Joe called Ground Control, and asked them to call Airport Security, because there was some nut case blocking a taxiway (he wasn't actually on a controlled surface yet). They called Security, who ran the FAA guy off, and Joe proceeded on his way.

The FAA guy got his butt chewed, both by the ATC Chief and by the FSDO Manager. But, Joe was pretty stealthy going in and out of there for a couple months.....

The regulations state that you have to show your credentials to an authorized official upon demand. Same thing applies to your driver's license when you're driving down the road: You get stopped for tail light out. State Patrolman comes to your window, asks for your drivers license and registration. You hold them in your hand, and refuse to give them to him/her????? I doubt THAT will go down well. So, they take your paperwork and, after they verify that you have no outstanding warrants, etc, they WILL return the license and registration to you.

Same thing applies to a pilot's credentials. If requested, you should hand them over FOR EXAMINATION. If they refuse to return them, THAT "official" is in violation of the regulations and their operating policies. There probably is a case (pilot drunk as a skunk and headed for his airplane, maybe??) where an official MIGHT hold the certificates, but what good would that do anyway?? Remember, the certificates don't make the engine start, or push the power up. Basically, there are provisions within the FAR's for "emergency revocation", but they are VERY rarely used, and I don't believe an inspector has this authority except in perhaps a VERY rare circumstance.

If someone takes your certificates, and refuses to return them, tell em you want their ID number, badge number, full name, etc. Then get in touch with their boss. Won't happen again.

These kinds of rumors get circulated and people are very willing to believe them, when in fact the FAA has stated time and again what their policies are. But, there's always someone "who heard"....

MTV

Official FAA Inspector code of ethics: "We aren't happy, untill you aren't happy"

What's considered "policy" or "written guidance" at one FSDO often has no resemblance to what's considered the norm at the next FSDO.

I've seen personalities influence what is used as "regulation" for over 30 years now, and even though I personally think they are few in number, there are inspectors who interpret the regs their own way. Usually we're told about this by OTHER inspectors, especially the ones who work in the same office.... after all, a few bad ones make them all look bad.

Read the regs, and throw out that crap that's not current -- why make it hard on yourself for no reason? It's not that hard. I never have got why some guy who will dump umpteen thousand dollars into an airplane, won't buy an $8 chart.

dhc,

You hit the nail on the head. I am a believer in a current sectional and A/FD at least for the area I'm in. That really isn't such a big deal, and with airspace changing the way it does lately, it's a good investment.

You shouldn't need a regulation to adopt common sense.

MTV