Hi,
I was wondering if anyone with any experience (or connection to CASA) may be able to help me with the following queries for a private General Aviation Local Scenic Flight or even just circuits.
I have no idea what to expect with a ramp check. Listening to different people's experiences it seems as though it's no different to being intercepted by a cop: it depends on who you get, what sort of mood they're in, etc with a wide range of outcomes.
Call me crazy, but I would love to be ramp checked by someone who is there to help educate me (so I know what I'm doing right, and can learn too from my mistakes) - but just the same I'm quite concerned about being ramp checked by someone just eager to write up as many infringements as they can.
As such, I'm wanting to prepare and cover myself for the worst and hope for the best, so referring to
http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_asset...-checks-ga.pdf I have the following questions:
Weather/NOTAMS:
How can I prove that I've "made a careful study of forecast weather and applicable NOTAMs". Should I have a copy with me for proof? (It's not required as I understand, but how else can I provide evidence)?
Will they accept verbal acknowledgement that there are no Notams, or the only ones was 'runway distance change', etc as proof? Weather I believe I'm OK with (if not flying more than 50nm) - but not sure about NOTAMS.
Fuel:
I've got 3.5hrs available, and I'm planning on a 40 minute
local flight, (either circuits or a short local scenic around a small rural town, etc). Am I really expected to write all this down and do written calculations as well as in flight logs, or is this only for trips from A to B?
Normally I just do this in my head. (It's 9am. I can fly to 12:30 before I run out of gas. I'll be back by 10am - 2.5hrs reserve and never be more than 15 minutes from the strip - I'm fine with ample to spare). I could recall this verbally if ramp checked. Is this sufficient, or do I really need to log this down and maintain a fuel log throughout my flight? (Or even circuits)?
Appropriate, Current Charts and Documents
EFB's - Is this sufficient for me (with no paper backups at all)? It's not like I'm flying somewhere I'm not familiar. (In which I'd have paper all the way).
I'm doing a local scenic in a rural area I've grown up in my whole life not flying more than 20nm from the strip. Class G airspace so the only reason I'd be carrying it would be to comply with the rules anyway - I wouldn't even be referencing it during the flight. Same again with circuits. Is this enough?
Weights & Balance
One day I might be flying solo. (Circuits). Another I might take my young daughter up, or maybe a friend.
If I'm flying a 182. I know that I can carry full fuel plus an additional 250kgs easy without even pulling out the charts. So from prior experience I know I'm well within the weight and balance limits with more than 100kg's to spare.
I've got prior W&B checks where I've had more fuel and more weight in the plane.
Do I still need written evidence that I've already done a weight & balance check on paper for
this flight - or is it sufficient to be able to verbally prove I'm within the limits and then demonstrate on paper if required?
(ie: Does CASA really expect people to do a separate W&B check each time they go out on a solo circuit with different fuel quantities)?
For other flights where I consider I need to do a W&B check (ie, taking a few people up where the margin will be smaller)- how do I provide
evidence of weights?
Is it satisfactory to simply have their weights written down on paper with the charts, or how do I prove I've done it? (Do I have to take photo's of passengers standing on scales to make sure I'm covered 100% in case I get the ramp check from hell?)
Recent Experience
What normally happens here? Since I'm not required to carry my logbook (better if I don't) - once again - will they accept verbal acknowledgement. Will they allow me to scan and email a copy of my logbook after the ramp check?
As previously mentioned, a lot of this stuff seems like common sense, and I'd be happy to be corrected at a ramp check if I was falling short some where - but I'm just as concerned about making sure that I'm not going to get burnt for small things if I get the wrong inspector and I've slipped up somewhere.