Ramp checks are exceptionally rare on light aircraft in the UK. If you are subjected to one, it is more likely than not to be because you have given some cause for specific concern or somebody has expressed a concern about you to the powers that be.
In the past the CAA have had outings to both Le Touquet and Le Mans, on the look out primarily for illegal PPL public transport operations. The object of the exercise has not been to determine whether or not a low-hours PPL can still do a W&B.
By contrast ramp-checks (or similar) are quite common abroad. The Dutch authorities are a regular feature at Lelystad, checking licences and Certificates of Airworthiness. France is notorious too - although often those doing the checking are the local plod - who don't really seem to know what they are looking at.
The FAA are reputed to be taking more of an interest in N-reg aircraft operating in Europe of late. Whether this is truly manifesting itself in the form of ramp checks is uncertain. Better remember you "AROW".
