Direct Answer
During a Part 135 ramp inspection, an FAA inspector checks three things at the aircraft: the airmen, the aircraft, and the operation. From the crew they verify the pilot certificate, medical certificate, and photo ID required by 14 CFR 61.3. On the aircraft they confirm the ARROW documents required by 14 CFR 91.203 (airworthiness certificate displayed, registration, radio license for international, operating limitations, weight and balance), the operating information 14 CFR 135.83 requires aboard, and that time-limited inspections are current — transponder within 24 calendar months (14 CFR 91.413) and ELT within 12 (14 CFR 91.207). For the operation they check the load manifest under 14 CFR 135.63, that any inoperative item is deferred under an approved MEL (14 CFR 135.179), and that the flight is within the operator's authority.
A ramp check is usually unannounced and is a documents-and-condition spot check — not a maintenance inspection or a check ride. The findings that turn up are almost always records-and-currency gaps (a document not aboard, an inspection interval lapsed, an inoperative item not properly deferred), not unsafe flying. The defense is simple to state and hard to do by hand: every required record current, complete, and instantly producible on every flight.
This guide is the inspector-side checklist — the items the FAA works through when they walk up to your aircraft. If you want the flip side, the documents you should stage and the operator's pre-arrival routine, read the Part 135 ramp-check document checklist and what to expect during a Part 135 ramp inspection. For the deeper office-level review, see how to prepare for a Part 135 FAA surveillance audit.
What an FAA Ramp Check Actually Is
A ramp inspection — what most pilots call a "ramp check" — is a short, usually unannounced inspection an FAA aviation safety inspector performs at the aircraft: on the ramp, at the FBO, or just before departure. It is described in FAA guidance (FAA Order 8900.1) as a surveillance activity, letting the inspector observe the aircraft and crew in their normal operating environment. The inspector's authority to do it comes from 49 U.S.C. 44709 and, for certificate holders, from 14 CFR 135.73, which requires each certificate holder and crewmember to allow the FAA to make inspections to determine compliance.
One nuance worth knowing: the FAA-indexed ramp inspection job aid (8900.1, Volume 6) is written as a Part 91 ramp inspection. For Part 121 and 135 certificate holders, inspectors work within the broader Safety Assurance System (SAS) and its data collection tools. The practical result is that a Part 135 ramp check is the Part 91 item list plus the Part 135-specific items — the load manifest, the operations-specifications authority for the flight, the operating information required aboard by 14 CFR 135.83, and proper MEL deferral. That Part 135 layer is exactly the part most generic "ramp check checklist" PDFs leave out.
The inspector approaches and presents credentials
A ramp check is normally unannounced. The inspector introduces themselves, shows FAA credentials, and explains the scope. FAA guidance directs inspectors to avoid delaying the flight where possible and to be courteous and professional.
Airman documents first
The inspector asks the required crewmembers for the three documents 14 CFR 61.3 requires in their possession or readily accessible: pilot certificate, medical certificate, and photo ID. They verify class and ratings against the aircraft and operation.
Aircraft documents and condition
They confirm the ARROW documents under 14 CFR 91.203 are aboard, that the airworthiness certificate is displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance, that required placards and markings are present, and they do a walk-around-level look for obvious unairworthy conditions.
Currency of time-limited items and MEL
The inspector checks dated inspections — transponder within 24 calendar months, ELT within 12, altimeter system within 24 for IFR — and that anything inoperative is deferred under an approved MEL with a placard and a record available to the pilot.
The Part 135 operation layer
For a Part 135 flight, the inspector reviews the load manifest under 14 CFR 135.63, the operating information aboard under 14 CFR 135.83, required cabin safety equipment, and that the flight is within the operator’s certificate and op-spec authority.
Debrief and any findings
The inspector debriefs the crew. Discrepancies are documented; a serious airworthiness issue can stop the flight, while a paperwork gap is typically recorded for follow-up. Repeat or systemic issues can escalate beyond the ramp.
A ramp check is a documents-and-condition spot check — not a deep audit
The inspector is not pulling your training files, your General Operations Manual revision history, or your full maintenance records on the ramp — those live at your base and are reviewed during a separate SAS surveillance or base audit. The ramp check verifies that this flight, right now, is legal. That is why the findings are almost always "a document was not aboard" rather than "the program is unsound."
The Part 135 Ramp Inspection Checklist — Item by Item
Every item below maps to a requirement in 14 CFR Part 61, Part 91, or Part 135, organized in the order an inspector typically works through them. Orange callouts flag the gaps that most often become a finding.
The Airmen — what the inspector asks the crew to produce
14 CFR 61.3The inspector starts with the people. Each required crewmember must hand over three items, in their physical possession or readily accessible in the aircraft. Leaving any one of them at home is a finding on a flight that is otherwise perfectly safe.
Pilot certificate
A pilot certificate issued under Part 61 (or an acceptable temporary or special-purpose document). The inspector checks that the category, class, and any type rating match the aircraft and the operation being flown.
Where it trips operators up: Certificate not in possession or wrong rating for the aircraft is an immediate finding.
Medical certificate
The appropriate class of medical for the operation, in possession or readily accessible. The inspector verifies the class and that it has not expired for the privileges being exercised.
Where it trips operators up: Expired medical, or a class too low for the operation, grounds the pilot on the spot.
Government photo identification
A U.S. driver’s license, government ID card, military ID, passport, or other acceptable photo ID. This became an explicit possession requirement and is checked alongside the certificate.
Where it trips operators up: No photo ID aboard is a frequently overlooked, easily avoidable finding.
Aircraft Documents (ARROW) — what must be aboard
14 CFR 91.203; 135.83Next the inspector confirms the documents that must travel with the aircraft. Pilots memorize the core set as ARROW. On a Part 135 flight, the inspector adds the operating information that 14 CFR 135.83 requires aboard.
Airworthiness certificate — displayed
A current airworthiness certificate must be aboard and displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance so it is legible to passengers or crew. The inspector physically looks for it on display.
Where it trips operators up: Not displayed at the entrance is one of the most common aircraft-document findings.
Registration certificate
An effective U.S. registration certificate (or an acceptable interim document). The inspector checks that it is valid and matches the N-number on the aircraft.
Radio station license (international only)
An FCC aircraft radio station license is required only for international operations. The inspector asks for it when the flight crosses a border; it is not required for purely domestic U.S. flights.
Operating limitations (flight manual, placards, markings)
The FAA-approved Airplane/Rotorcraft Flight Manual or operating limitations must be aboard, and required placards and instrument markings must be present and legible. The inspector spot-checks placards against the approved configuration.
Weight and balance data
Current weight-and-balance information for the aircraft. For multiengine Part 135 aircraft, empty weight and CG are generally established from a weighing within the preceding 36 calendar months unless an approved system is used.
Cockpit and emergency checklists + charts (Part 135)
On a Part 135 flight, the operating information in 14 CFR 135.83 must be aboard: the cockpit checklist, the emergency checklist (for multiengine or retractable-gear aircraft), pertinent aeronautical charts, and the en route, terminal, approach and letdown charts for IFR operations.
Where it trips operators up: Missing current charts or the required emergency checklist is a Part 135-specific ramp finding.
Airworthiness Condition & Time-Limited Inspections
14 CFR 91.207, 91.413, 135.179The inspector then looks at the aircraft itself and at the calendar-based equipment inspections. They are not performing a maintenance inspection, but they verify the aircraft presents as airworthy and that time-limited items are current and any inoperative equipment is properly deferred.
Transponder test current
The ATC transponder must have been tested and inspected within the preceding 24 calendar months for operations in controlled airspace. The inspector confirms the date from the records.
Where it trips operators up: Transponder beyond 24 calendar months is a clear, date-driven finding.
ELT inspection current
The emergency locator transmitter must be inspected within 12 calendar months for installation, battery corrosion, sensor operation, and signal. Battery replacement is due after 1 cumulative hour of use or at 50% of useful life.
Where it trips operators up: ELT inspection lapsed, or battery past its marked replacement date, is a common finding.
Static/altimeter system (IFR)
For IFR operations, the altimeter system and altitude reporting equipment must have been tested within the preceding 24 calendar months. Pairs with the transponder check.
Inoperative equipment properly deferred (MEL)
If anything is inoperative, the inspector checks that it is deferred under an approved Minimum Equipment List authorized by the operator’s op specs, that the item is placarded, and that records identifying the inoperative item are available to the pilot.
Where it trips operators up: Inoperative item with no MEL entry, placard, or record is a serious airworthiness finding.
General airworthiness condition
A walk-around-level look for obvious unairworthy conditions — fluid leaks, tire and brake condition, structural or skin damage, missing fasteners or panels, required exterior markings and N-number. The pilot in command is responsible for determining the aircraft is in condition for safe flight.
The Operation — Part 135 authority, manifest, and safety equipment
14 CFR 135.63, 135.73Finally, the inspector confirms the flight in front of them is a legal Part 135 operation: that it falls within the operator’s authority, that the manifest is complete, and that required cabin safety equipment is present. This is where a Part 135 ramp check goes beyond the Part 91 job aid.
Load manifest aboard
For multiengine aircraft, the PIC must carry a load manifest showing passenger count, total loaded weight, maximum allowable takeoff weight, CG limits and the actual or computed CG, registration or flight number, origin and destination, and crew identification. The operator keeps copies at least 30 days.
Where it trips operators up: Missing or incomplete manifest on a multiengine flight is a Part 135-specific finding.
Operation matches certificate authority
The inspector confirms the flight is the kind of operation the certificate and operations specifications authorize — aircraft type, area of operations, and on-demand vs. commuter authority. A flight outside the granted authority can raise illegal-charter concerns.
Required emergency equipment
Emergency equipment appropriate to the operation — hand fire extinguishers under §135.155 and, for overwater or remote routes, flotation and survival equipment under §135.167. The inspector checks presence, accessibility, and that time-sensitive items are in date.
Safety belts, child restraints, and passenger briefing
Proper use of safety belts and approved child restraint systems under §135.128, and the passenger briefing required by §135.117. The inspector may confirm briefing materials are aboard and that a seat with a belt is available for each occupant.
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Run the Free FAA Readiness ScoreWhat the Inspector Checks vs. What You Stage
This post is the inspector's list. Your job is the mirror image: have each of those items current and instantly producible. The two map cleanly onto each other, which is why a single well-organized record system answers both sides.
- Airman cert, medical, photo ID in possession (61.3)
- ARROW documents aboard and displayed (91.203)
- Transponder/ELT/altimeter inspection dates current
- MEL deferral, manifest, op-spec authority (135.63/179)
- A pre-flight document set in each aircraft
- Expiration tracking on medicals and equipment dates
- A current MEL and a clean deferral log
- The full staging routine in the document checklist
Ramp Inspection vs. Base Audit vs. SAS Surveillance
Operators conflate these three, but they differ in where they happen and how deep they go. Knowing which is which tells you what to have where.
| Activity | Where | What gets checked |
|---|---|---|
| Ramp inspection | At the aircraft (FBO, ramp) | Documents that must be aboard + visible airworthiness condition for this flight |
| Base audit | Your principal operations base | GOM/GMM, full training files, maintenance records, drug & alcohol program, operational control |
| SAS surveillance | Continuous / risk-based, mixed locations | Design and performance of your whole system over time, via FAA data collection tools |
The throughline: all three pull from the same body of compliance records. If your medicals, training currency, equipment inspection dates, manifests, and manuals are current and retrievable, you are ready for whichever one shows up. For the deep-dive companion to this ramp-level guide, read how to prepare for a Part 135 FAA surveillance audit and the broader list of records a Part 135 operator must keep.
How to Be Ready for an Unannounced Ramp Check
Because a ramp check arrives without warning, you cannot prepare for it the night before — you have to already be ready. Four habits eliminate nearly every ramp-check finding before an inspector ever walks up.
Keep a complete document set in every aircraft
ARROW documents, the current airworthiness certificate displayed at the entrance, the 135.83 checklists and charts, and the load manifest workflow. Standardize it so any pilot can produce the set in seconds, in any of your aircraft.
Track every expiration date that an inspector reads off a record
Medical certificates by pilot, and transponder (24 mo), ELT (12 mo), and altimeter (24 mo) inspection dates by aircraft. A 90/60/30-day alert on each one removes the entire category of “interval lapsed” findings.
Run a clean MEL deferral log
Keep the approved MEL current and ensure every inoperative item is placarded and recorded with a record available to the pilot. An undocumented inop item is one of the few ramp findings that can actually stop a flight.
Brief crews on the ramp-check posture
Professional, cooperative, factual. Produce what is asked, give the inspector room, and answer what you know — confirm anything you are unsure of from the records rather than guessing.
FileFlo: the proof layer that makes every ramp-check document producible on demand
FileFlo is a compliance document intelligence platform — a read-only proof layer that sits alongside your existing stack (scheduling, maintenance tracking, training software) and organizes the records those systems produce. It does not conduct the inspection, represent you to the FAA, or give legal advice, and it is not a replacement for your safety management system, dispatch, or maintenance tracking. What it does is keep the airman, aircraft, and operation records an inspector asks for current and instantly retrievable. It classifies over 600 document types against the governing CFR, tracks expiration windows on every medical and equipment inspection, and lets you pull any record — a pilot's medical, a transponder test date, the current airworthiness release — on demand.
For Part 135 on-demand charter operators, that means when an inspector walks up to the aircraft, the answer to "can I see the…" is already yes — not a scramble through a flight bag or a call back to the office.
Related Part 135 inspection & records guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the FAA check during a Part 135 ramp inspection?
During a ramp inspection (sometimes called a ramp check), an FAA aviation safety inspector works through a fixed list of items grouped into three areas: the airmen, the aircraft, and the operation. On the airmen, the inspector verifies each required crewmember has their pilot certificate, an appropriate medical certificate, and government photo identification in their physical possession or readily accessible — all three are required by 14 CFR 61.3. On the aircraft, the inspector confirms the documents required by 14 CFR 91.203 are aboard (a current airworthiness certificate, displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance, plus a valid registration certificate), checks the aircraft's general airworthiness condition, required placards and markings, and that time-limited equipment inspections are current — the transponder within 24 calendar months (14 CFR 91.413), the ELT within 12 calendar months (14 CFR 91.207), and any inoperative equipment properly deferred under an approved MEL (14 CFR 135.179). On the operation, the inspector checks the load manifest, the required cockpit checklists and charts that 14 CFR 135.83 says must be aboard, and that the flight matches the operator's authority.
What is an FAA ramp check?
A ramp check is a short, usually unannounced inspection an FAA aviation safety inspector performs at the aircraft — at the FBO, on the ramp, or before departure — rather than at your office. FAA guidance in Order 8900.1 frames it as a surveillance activity: the inspector observes the aircraft and crew in their normal operating environment, verifies the documents that must be carried, and looks at the aircraft's airworthiness condition. For a Part 135 flight, the inspector typically introduces themselves, explains the scope, and tries to time the check so it does not delay the flight. It is not a maintenance inspection or a check ride — it is a documents-and-condition spot check against the requirements in 14 CFR Parts 61, 91, and 135.
What documents does the FAA ask for during a ramp check?
The inspector asks the crew for the airman documents required by 14 CFR 61.3 — pilot certificate, medical certificate, and photo ID — and for the aircraft documents required by 14 CFR 91.203, which pilots remember with the acronym ARROW: Airworthiness certificate, Registration certificate, Radio station license (only for international operations), Operating limitations (the FAA-approved flight manual, placards, and markings), and Weight and balance data. For a Part 135 operation, the inspector also looks for the items 14 CFR 135.83 requires aboard the aircraft — the cockpit checklist, the emergency checklist for multiengine or retractable-gear aircraft, and pertinent aeronautical and IFR navigation charts — plus the load manifest the pilot in command must carry to the destination under 14 CFR 135.63. The deeper records (training files, maintenance logs, the General Operations Manual) live at your base and are reviewed during a separate base or SAS surveillance visit, not on the ramp.
What regulations cover an FAA ramp inspection?
There is no single regulation titled "ramp inspection." The inspector's authority comes from 49 U.S.C. 44709 and 14 CFR 135.73, which require a certificate holder and its crews to allow the FAA to inspect to determine compliance. What the inspector checks against is the body of underlying rules: 14 CFR 61.3 (airman certificate, medical, and photo ID in possession), 14 CFR 91.203 (airworthiness and registration certificates aboard), 14 CFR 91.207 and 91.413 (ELT and transponder inspection intervals), 14 CFR 135.83 (operating information aboard the aircraft), 14 CFR 135.63 (load manifest), and 14 CFR 135.179 (inoperative equipment and the MEL). The procedural framework the inspector follows is FAA guidance — Order 8900.1 — not a regulation; the FAA-indexed ramp inspection job aid is written for Part 91, so a Part 135 inspector layers the Part 135-specific items (manifest, op-spec authority, MEL deferral) on top of it.
How often does the FAA do a ramp check on a Part 135 operator?
There is no fixed interval. The FAA's oversight of Part 135 certificate holders runs under the risk-based, continuous Safety Assurance System (SAS) described in FAA guidance (Order 8900.1), and ramp inspections are one surveillance tool the inspector can use at any time. In practice, the frequency rises for operators with recent findings, accidents or incidents, complaints, new aircraft or op-spec amendments, or other risk signals, and a single aircraft can be ramp-checked more than once. Because ramp checks are usually unannounced and have no published cadence, the only reliable posture is continuous readiness — having every required airman and aircraft document current and aboard on every flight, every day.
Can the FAA ramp check a Part 135 flight without notice, and do I have to comply?
Yes. Ramp checks are typically conducted without advance notice, and as a Part 135 certificate holder you are required to make your operation available for FAA inspection. Under 14 CFR 135.73, each certificate holder and crewmember must allow the Administrator to make inspections to determine compliance, and 49 U.S.C. 44709 gives the FAA broad authority to inspect airmen and aircraft. The inspector will present credentials. The constructive approach is to be professional and cooperative: produce the airman and aircraft documents, give the inspector room to look at the aircraft, and answer factual questions. You are not obligated to speculate or guess — if you do not know an answer, it is appropriate to say you will confirm it from your records rather than provide an inaccurate statement.
What is the most common finding on a Part 135 ramp inspection?
The FAA does not publish a definitive ranked list of ramp-inspection findings, so any specific percentage should be treated with caution. Qualitatively, ramp findings cluster on documentation and currency rather than on the aircraft itself: a required document not aboard or not retrievable (a medical certificate left at home, the airworthiness certificate not displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance), a lapsed equipment inspection interval (transponder past 24 calendar months, ELT past 12), an inoperative item not properly deferred under the MEL, or a load manifest that is missing or incomplete. These are records-and-readiness gaps, not airmanship problems — which is why a system that keeps every certificate, inspection date, and required aboard-document current and instantly producible is the most effective defense.
How is a ramp inspection different from a Part 135 base audit or SAS surveillance?
A ramp inspection is a short, point-of-operation spot check at the aircraft, focused on the documents that must be carried and the aircraft's visible condition. A base audit or SAS surveillance visit happens at your principal operations base and goes much deeper — the inspector reviews the General Operations Manual and its revision history, the full per-pilot training and currency files, maintenance and airworthiness records, the drug and alcohol program, and your operational control system. Think of the ramp check as verifying the flight in front of the inspector is legal right now, and the base audit as verifying your program is sound over time. Both pull from the same compliance records; the difference is depth and location. For the base-audit side, see our companion guide on preparing for a Part 135 FAA surveillance audit.
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