"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
...
Wasn't Bob Hoovers ticket pulled on the spot by a couple of FAA types that
had no idea how to fly an airplane?

No. His medical was revoked on an emergency basis, but that has nothing to
do with the question of whether handing your paperwork over to an inspector
will affect your certificate status one way or the other.

If the FAA wants to suspend or revoke your privileges, whether or not you
have your certificates in hand don't matter. Your privileges get suspended
or revoked, and you keeping your papers won't change that. Conversely, if
an inspector takes your certificates from you, and claims that you
voluntarily surrendered them, refusing to give them back, that does not mean
that you cannot fly. It just means that inspector will get into trouble
with his supervisors.

The rules regarding what constitutes voluntary surrender are very clear, and
nothing that happens during a ramp check could result in qualifying as
voluntary surrender (unless you somehow accidently write a letter to the FAA
during the ramp check...a bizarre situation to ponder, IMHO).

Pete