Traveling by air with r/c gear?

has anyone tried checking in r/c gear? Is this asking for trouble? I'd like to take my Tx, charger, starter, and a Spad or 2 on a 1 week trip to Texas (I foresee hours of nothing to do at times, with wide open spaces everywhere). Would I be better off just ground shipping it?

-- Frank Costa Bakersfield, CA

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Reply to
Frank Costa
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I'd ship it...why take the chance of a longer delay at the airport?

Don

Reply to
Don Hatten

You shouldn't have any problems if you check it in with your luggage. The only thing I would worry about is if you have a computer transmitter. The highend x-ray machines some airports use to scan luggage may fry something.

Reply to
Normen Strobel

You might want to check out the AMA website (or previous issues of MA) for the right up by the prez about problems some have encountered with the airlines. IIRC there was some issues with the "sniffers" going off possibly relating to the fuel vapors...but they weren't sure. They were working on a solution at the time of the article.

Greg

Reply to
Greg

| You might want to check out the AMA website (or previous issues of MA) for | the right up by the prez about problems some have encountered with the | airlines. IIRC there was some issues with the "sniffers" going off possibly | relating to the fuel vapors...but they weren't sure. They were working on a | solution at the time of the article.

You should also talk to the airline itself. For example, Delta Airlines considers model airplanes to be fragile and don't want to take responsibility for them --

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but since they do explicitly mention them, obviously they've dealt with them before.

Some people have had luck with Zagis and similar planes, not checking them at all but instead bringing them in the cabin with them and putting them where the baby strollers go. I'd definately ask the airline about that in advance, but I doubt your Spad could be so lucky.

Whatever you do, drain that fuel tank entirely. You may want to remove it entirely so they don't have to open the plane to get to it. And you can't ship fuel, so you'll have to buy some at your destination. I wonder if a lead acid battery would upset them ... Better call the airline ...

You might also want to send Maynard an email and ask him. I hear he's got a plane he needs to get back over here from Ireland, and he might have some advice :)

Reply to
Doug McLaren

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I should just ship it. Someone I spoke with brought up a good point, you can insure a shipment, but you cannot insure checked baggage, plus I don't want to run the risk of getting stuck at the airport over saving a few dollars.

Reply to
Frank Costa

remove it entirely so they don't have to open the plane to get to it.

I have put a lead acid battery in the form of a car jumper pack in the check in luggage, on US Air.

Reply to
Morgans

I travel every other week El Paso to Burbank or LA. I've carried on all kinds of radio equipment. They look pretty hard. If you check it no problem.

Pete

Reply to
Pete Christensen

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