Travel airport security

[WRXJIM]

The Airlines never even look in your carryon bag. In over 15 million miles of Air travel in the last 12 years, I am yet to have the contents of my carry on bag, or witness someone having theirs inspected by an "airline"...
It is up to you (the traveler) to ensure your batteries are safely stored.
The TSA dont even check for properly stored batteries. That is not their job either.
TSA will however flag your "checked" bag if they find Lithium batteries in there. (not all the time, because I know for a fact there are people that have checked Inspires with batteries still in the case... Some moron I flew to SFO with a while back... In BOTH directions! I "assumed" he was better informed than he was.)

Either way. Fires on planes are bad. LiPo fires are bad... It is better to err on the side of caution.
Before I got my P4, I used to have my Lipos in the lipo bag and it fit nicely into the seat back pocket. I could keep a good eye on them that way.
Im fairly confident the P4 batteries are more stable, secure and safe in my bag in the overhead bin, than regular soft sided LiPo batteries.

 

[rexster314]

When we flew to Mexico last year, I was somewhat concerned about flying with 4 P2V+ batteries. I had purchased a li-po bag that held all four of them and had them in my carryon bag. The Phantom was in a Pelican hard case as my other carryon bag. I don't know if it's because we're on TSA's precheck and have Global Entry, but we breezed through with no problems. Even coming back through Mexican customs was a breeze. Everything got xrayed and it was a breeze. I've had more trouble with my Nikon D800 and it's case than the Phantom

 

[Fallguy]

Yep, I've got the Think Tank backpack too. Great case, it's got lots of room. Never been hassled by the airlines.

Any problems with the flight attendants wanting to put your bag in the cargo hold because of lack of overhead bin space? Seems like every time I fly now , that's the first thing that happens.
Also , what are the dimensions of the Think Tank backpack ? I think most airlines have reduced the size of carry on luggage.

 

[tcope]

The Airlines never even look in your carryon bag. In over 15 million miles of Air travel in the last 12 years, I am yet to have the contents of my carry on bag, or witness someone having theirs inspected by an "airline"...
It is up to you (the traveler) to ensure your batteries are safely stored.
The TSA dont even check for properly stored batteries. That is not their job either.
TSA will however flag your "checked" bag if they find Lithium batteries in there. (not all the time, because I know for a fact there are people that have checked Inspires with batteries still in the case... Some moron I flew to SFO with a while back... In BOTH directions! I "assumed" he was better informed than he was.)

Either way. Fires on planes are bad. LiPo fires are bad... It is better to err on the side of caution.
Before I got my P4, I used to have my Lipos in the lipo bag and it fit nicely into the seat back pocket. I could keep a good eye on them that way.
Im fairly confident the P4 batteries are more stable, secure and safe in my bag in the overhead bin, than regular soft sided LiPo batteries.

Not saying it ever would be an issue but someone did post a video where they were not allowed on a plane with lipo batteries. The airlines found out when they wanted him to check his bag. Granted, they did not allow him to board because of the batteries in general, which was a mistake. But taping them can't hurt, it can only help. It's just a suggestion. If someone does not want to do it, that is up to them.

Miles traveled means nothing when talking about each boarding. Also, one person's travels is nothing compared to all the people who carry on Lipos.

 

[nhoover]

The trick I learned after flying with various Phantoms including P4 over the last 2 1/2 years is that it's best to keep all your wires and chargers separate. If you just have the phantom, batteries, controller and little else in the backpack, then they will see it in their xray machine and not give it a second glance. If you have the pack stuffed with complicated looking electronic stuff then they will inspect fully (although that isn't bad, it just costs some time).

I've flown to England, Scotland, Ireland, Nepal, UAE, Canada and many US states with no troubles. One of the security guys at a small airport in Nepal asked if the batteries were charged. I said no, and he was disappointed because he wanted a demo right there in the check-in area.

Tomorrow I'm flying to Norway via Frankfurt - P4 is packed and ready to go. I use the GoProfessional backpack, and for the P4, I just stick the DJI styrofoam box inside the pack - works great and is super protective.

 

[Start Visit]

battery should be not fully charged? like 2-3 bars?

 

[WRXJIM]

Any problems with the flight attendants wanting to put your bag in the cargo hold because of lack of overhead bin space? Seems like every time I fly now , that's the first thing that happens.

Boarding as early as possible helps. If you are asked to gate check your bag, you just ask nicely if you can have a look for space as you have valuable, sensitive equipment you would rather not put underneath if you can avoid it. Say it nicely and in a way you arent being "its all about me" if you get what I mean. I have learned that Flight Attendants dont like people that think they are the only ones flying that day. Bringing them a goody bag with M&Ms and Starbursts as a bribe helps immensely as well I flat out tell them its a bribe to buy me an extra 30 seconds to "try" and avoid gate checking my bag. They always laugh and their persona changes very quickly
I find its only an issue on flights around the US. Americans bring the biggest, fullest, and heaviest carry on bags I have EVER seen. ha ha.
In saying that, I travel with my P4 in a regular back pack, that will slide under the seat in front of me if needed (on most aircraft). My other bag is a messenger/Laptop style bag that I can always manage to find space for somewhere overhead.

Not saying it ever would be an issue but someone did post a video where they were not allowed on a plane with lipo batteries. The airlines found out when they wanted him to check his bag. Granted, they did not allow him to board because of the batteries in general, which was a mistake. But taping them can't hurt, it can only help. It's just a suggestion. If someone does not want to do it, that is up to them.

Yeh he is a Kiwi, I know him. That was his fault for even bring up that he had batteries... It is MUCH better to not even mention what you have, just that it is sensitive, expensive equipment. Then if no space can be found pull the batteries out. ( I flew JetBlue the other day, and the flight attendant was asking each person she was taking bags from if they had Lithium batteries or medication in there as it needed to be removed). Making a fuss, trying to be clever and acting like your stuff is the most important thing on the plane that day gets you -25 bonus points on the Flight Attendant "help you out" scale :/
Basically the Pilot was the jerk... He hated "Drones" because of the current fear mongering... The number of times Ive heard pilots talking about drones and how they will bring a plane down and should be banned, blah blah blah...

Miles traveled means nothing when talking about each boarding. Also, one person's travels is nothing compared to all the people who carry on Lipos.

Do you know how many plane rides/boarding it takes to fly that many miles. ha ha. Granted my copter doesnt always come with me, but even when it doesnt I still travel with a large amount of photography gear as carry on.
My point is, for the amount of time I spend at airports, boarding areas, on aircraft, in Customs and immigration, I have had no problems at all.
Law of averages blah blah.

I read all these posts about airport drama and wonder what people are doing to have such a hard time... Over divulging is usually the number one culprit... Things people dont understand will always scare them, and especially if its anything to do with the current "Drone hysteria" plaguing the hobby at the moment :/

The trick I learned after flying with various Phantoms including P4 over the last 2 1/2 years is that it's best to keep all your wires and chargers separate. If you just have the phantom, batteries, controller and little else in the backpack, then they will see it in their xray machine and not give it a second glance. If you have the pack stuffed with complicated looking electronic stuff then they will inspect fully (although that isn't bad, it just costs some time)..

Totally. Make it as easy as possible to see everything in there as it passes through the xray. My chargers go in side pouches.

battery should be not fully charged? like 2-3 bars?

Pre Phantom days, I travelled with my Lipos at "Storage" charge.
I travel with my P4 batteries at 30%ish.

 

[normr]

I just flew the other day and they never even opened anything, I even have 4 batteries in a plastic ammo box that went thru security and the X-ray machine without any issues, didn't even open a thing. It could be because I was TSA Pre.

I got the battery contact covers from msinger, and have them on all my batteries.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Fallguy]

Boarding as early as possible helps. If you are asked to gate check your bag, you just ask nicely if you can have a look for space as you have valuable, sensitive equipment you would rather not put underneath if you can avoid it. Say it nicely and in a way you arent being "its all about me" if you get what I mean. I have learned that Flight Attendants dont like people that think they are the only ones flying that day. Bringing them a goody bag with M&Ms and Starbursts as a bribe helps immensely as well I flat out tell them its a bribe to buy me an extra 30 seconds to "try" and avoid gate checking my bag. They always laugh and their persona changes very quickly
I find its only an issue on flights around the US. Americans bring the biggest, fullest, and heaviest carry on bags I have EVER seen. ha ha.
In saying that, I travel with my P4 in a regular back pack, that will slide under the seat in front of me if needed (on most aircraft). My other bag is a messenger/Laptop style bag that I can always manage to find space for somewhere overhead..

Cant you just tell them at that point , that you have the lipo's and they cant be gate checked, or will that bring red flags into the picture?
Also , we Americans are a proud people , and we're also cheap, that's why we cram everything under the sun into a tiny carry on bag so we dont have to pay the extra $35 to check a bag.

 

[trentten]

Last week I took my drone on it's first flight (on an airplane) from Amsterdam to Oslo. After the x-ray they pulled it aside and the guy inspected it closely. Called over the floor manager and they started talking in Dutch (all I could understand was the word 'drone'). They started taking a careful look at the battery. He then radioed for the head of airport security to come and inspect it. He eventually turned up and had a look and he told me he was looking at a youtube video of a drone yesterday which he thought was this one and told me it was pretty col. Then he said that should be fine and let me go.
I asked him if there was anything I could do in the future to help me get through security easier. He said no, they just inspect the batteries and the people carrying them and make a determination.
My second flight (Norway domestic) they pulled my bag aside again after the x-ray, this time they just ran an explosives test inside and out, all clear and they let me go.

 

[WRXJIM]

Cant you just tell them at that point , that you have the lipo's and they cant be gate checked, or will that bring red flags into the picture?
Also , we Americans are a proud people , and we're also cheap, that's why we cram everything under the sun into a tiny carry on bag so we dont have to pay the extra $35 to check a bag.

They will just tell you to remove the batteries and keep them with you. If there is no room there is no room. Its why I keep my batteries in a separate Lipo bag so I can just pull it out on the spot if need be. I have never seen a Flight attendant pull another passengers bag just for someone elses... I have seen another passenger offer though.
It is totally worth the extra $10-$70 domestically (depending on airline) to go up a few boarding zones to get on earlier and guarantee some overhead space. There are ways to avoid the fee... Frequent flier status etc...

The rest of the world have been paying for checked bags for decades... They just have carry on restrictions far stricter. But thats why they can board in half the time

 

[Fallguy]

It is totally worth the extra $10-$70 domestically (depending on airline) to go up a few boarding zones to get on earlier and guarantee some overhead space. There are ways to avoid the fee... Frequent flier status etc...

The rest of the world have been paying for checked bags for decades... They just have carry on restrictions far stricter. But thats why they can board in half the time

I dont know about what experiences you had , but it doesnt matter what time you board (1st or last) On the airlines I have flown , the ladies will come around prior to boarding telling you to put a gate check tag on your carry on .

 

[WRXJIM]

I dont know about what experiences you had , but it doesnt matter what time you board (1st or last) On the airlines I have flown , the ladies will come around prior to boarding telling you to put a gate check tag on your carry on .

Trust me Ive had plenty of experiences If it fits in the bag sizer, therefore within the carry on limits you dont have to accept the tag...

If you dont want the confrontation, take the tag, and as you walk down the jetbridge pull the tag off (you dont even need to do that, but it will save you any drama from an observant FA, whol will automatically assume you bag didnt fit in the sizer... Walk on the plane and stow your bag... If you have managed to board in an earlier "zone" you will have plenty of space... (most US airlines are now putting final destination tags on bags, asopposed to "gate check" tags, so you may need to say "NO" - JetBlue(definitely), American(Usually), and United(randomly) all are lately)

 

[Fallguy]

Trust me Ive had plenty of experiences If it fits in the bag sizer, therefore within the carry on limits you dont have to accept the tag...

If you dont want the confrontation, take the tag, and as you walk down the jetbridge pull the tag off (you dont even need to do that, but it will save you any drama from an observant FA, whol will automatically assume you bag didnt fit in the sizer... Walk on the plane and stow your bag... If you have managed to board in an earlier "zone" you will have plenty of space... (most US airlines are now putting final destination tags on bags, asopposed to "gate check" tags, so you may need to say "NO" - JetBlue(definitely), American(Usually), and United(randomly) all are lately)

Always wanted to pull that **** tag off, but never had a real reason to. Never flown with the P4 yet , but might in the fall.

 

[WRXJIM]

Always wanted to pull that **** tag off, but never had a real reason to. Never flown with the P4 yet , but might in the fall.

If you dont find a space just tell the FA... The woman out at the counter will NEVER remember you if she has tagged more than 6 or 7 bags... (Unless you have a bright pink or memorable bag. ha ha)
Pull your batteries out, and they will retag it...
If you are worried, just take the tag off the same way it went on and stick it in your pocket. If you dont find space just put it back on and tell the FA, you were hoping to find space.
Youll find space if you boarded in the first 50 people generally.
(This of course only applies if you are flying on something larger than an Embraer 170. The smaller Q*00s and E145/E-Jets have tiny over head bins that really can only fit a large laptop bag :/ - Your itinerary will tell you the type of aircraft you are on)

 

[SouthernPhantom]

I usually fly Southwest. A mere $15 extra per flight guarantees priority boarding with plenty of overhead space.

My fully-loaded ThinkTank backpack (see my earlier posts here) is within specified size limits, and has never been questioned or stopped by anyone (except the one TSA agent who wanted to know more about it. He loved it!).

And, regarding all the back-and-forth comments about taping (sorry to bring this up again) -- some of the airline regs are boilerplate that were written a couple of years ago for loose-wired Lipos, the point being to eliminate any chance of a short circuit. The P3/P4 batteries are already built that way. All of these Lipos are below the legal limit as to what's allowed on a plane. They're safe!

 

[MartyPilot]

I may be lucky but as I wasn't knowing about the requirement of carrying batteries into my carry on, I've flowned them (4) in the the hardshell pelican case that's been checked as an "oversized" and they put "FRAGILE" on it ... my plane flight was from Canada to Ecuador, with a connection in Panama without any problems.

Since I'll be traveling back to Canada in a couple of days, I may want to carry them in my carryon but at first, could somebody explain to me what is the problem with 50% charged li-po battery in a hardshell case into a plane's checked luggages ??? If Im not wrong, li-po don't explode in that state. I've learned that they show problems while been used, when they are hot or depleted at a point where they are showin less than 3.3 volts per cell ?

I'll be following the rules, but I wan to understand.

 

[Vasekp]

Was few days ago in holidays in Spain used original P4 case as cabin luggage with 3 batteries no problems in CZ or Spain. I think there is a max battery capacity allowed and the dji batts are bellow this limit.

 

[GadgetGuy]

If you are traveling with a companion, have one of you act as the "caretaker," while the other becomes the "special needs" passenger (translation: requires early boarding to fit his P4 in the overhead ). Just step up first into the priority boarding area line, and quietly whisper to the attendant that your companion has "special needs" and requires priority boarding. They will never ask what those "special needs" are, and will manually override your preassigned boarding order, to let you on first. Worked like charm, to carry my P4 onto four overcrowded flights, one even on a small commuter plane, where I just threw it over my shoulder, as I boarded, even though they were tagging everything with wheels. It still fit under the seat(s) in front of me, sideways if needed, to not be straddling it with my feet, since there were two of us seated together. If traveling alone, you can also ask for pre-boarding as a "member of the media," with sensitive equipment. Have P4, will travel!

 

[pe9999]

If you need your equipment on location, why not ship your equipment by fedex, dhs, etc first and not mess with airport security. With the current security situation, why do you want to have the headaches.