Camera gear and flying

[Bob G]

I am off to Cairns for a few days next week. Jetstar.
Do the airlines have any restrictions with camera gear, batteries, flash, tripods etc.?
I will want to take some onboard and tripod etc. in baggage.

Any advice appreciated.

[Underload]

G'day Bob,

I don't think you'll have any dramas.

I flew Jetstar down to Avalon (Melb) not so long ago. On the way down I had the tripod in the suitcase, and the body and lenses with me as carry-on. I was stopped at security and pulled aside after they x-rayed the bag - all they wanted to do was just double check what they were looking at - evidently a bunch of lenses don't show up all that well on the machine. No real issue - just a very brief looksee.

On the way back, I had the tripod strapped to the bag and was waved through. Batteries and whatnot were kept in the suitcase, just in case. Someone else might be able to comment a bit more specifically about them that me.

Hope it helps, and enjoy the trip

[PiroStitch]

yeah only time i've been double checked at security was my monopod which i forgot to put in the suitcase. carry on luggage with body, lenses and flash are fine...if you have a knife or pointy implements, make sure it goes in your check-in luggage and all will be fine.

[biggerry]

I am off to Cairns for a few days next week. Jetstar.

heh...I expect some pictures of mossman gorge then

deathstar, virgin or qantas, more or less the same just make sure whatever you pack in you baggage is nicely padded, these bags can and will cop a flogging (and some times depart the aircraft at untimely moments - read qantas oxy reg failure recently )

I have in the past packed tripod (considered suitably dangerous weapon) in baggage and carried all other gear (for me not that much) on board as carry on. I have had 4 lens in a carryon bag a few times with no questions raised.

I had the tripod strapped to the bag

surprised they did not ping you there! I have been held up for a steel ruler (for work) on carry on luggage

I hope you have a good trip Bob - my only suggestion for cairns is....get out of cairns and see the countryside! (and that does not mean Port Douglas )

[Mj]

Not had any problems with a tripod... but the allen key (that I forgot was attached to a leg) got some interest... guess they were concerned that I might start dismantling the plane piece by piece, Ikea style, mid flight !!!

About to head overseas in a couple of weeks myself and tossing up whether to bring a tripod or not.

[Reschsmooth]

When we flew to and from NZ via Emirates and Qantas, I carried the tripod in my checked in bag and lowepro bag as carry on. Thankfully, they didn't check the weight. Had no problems, although the x-ray scan did take a little longer as security double checked the contents of the bag.

[gstark]

On Jetstar, your luggage is fine.

It's their passengers that they object to. Don't expect any semblance of service. Not even a pretense.

[Bob G]

Thanks everybody - very helpful

[jdear]

I had the only allen key that fitted my tripod taken off me at Hamilton Airport.
I suppose I was a threat to removing part of the fuselage mid-flight.

[Yi-P]

Make sure you don't bring any tripod or monopods with spike legs as carry on. They consider those as 'sharp weapons'.

[Killakoala]

On Jetstar, your luggage is fine.

It's their passengers that they object to. Don't expect any semblance of service. Not even a pretense.

Gary, you have to pay extra for that.

[moz]

The only hassle I've had is with weight - one of the cheap-and-cheerless airlines weighed my carry-on and got shirty because it was over their 5kg or 7kg limit. So I said I'd be happy to check it in if they were happy to guarantee to deliver or replace the contents within 24 hours. Problem solved The other trick (if you think weighing is likely) is to pocket as much stuff as you can, and wear the camera around your neck (which most of them allow). Although probably not a 1D with 600/4.

[DaveB]

The only hassle I've had is with weight - one of the cheap-and-cheerless airlines weighed my carry-on and got shirty because it was over their 5kg or 7kg limit. So I said I'd be happy to check it in if they were happy to guarantee to deliver or replace the contents within 24 hours. Problem solved

I wouldn't recommend this approach, they can stick their ground and point out that they take no responsibility for the goods. If you don't like it, they're not short of passengers...
You can try to call their bluff though!

The other trick (if you think weighing is likely) is to pocket as much stuff as you can, and wear the camera around your neck (which most of them allow). Although probably not a 1D with 600/4.

This is my standard approach. My carry-on bag is typically overweight, but once I take a lens or two out and put them in pockets (I'm usually wearing a loose jacket with big pockets) and take a camera body with 100-400mm or 70-200mm lens out and stick that around my neck as my "personal camera" I'm always underweight. Of course the gear goes back in the bag once we're past the inspection point...

And I do know someone who pulled this with a 500mm/4 (successfully!). Not quite a 600mm/4, but close.

A couple of times a helpful staffer at the X-ray machine has lifted a bag off the rollers to pass it to me (or to take to a table so I can show them what's inside) and had a surprise at the weight, but in those cases they weren't part of the airline and didn't care about weight limits, just about security.
I only take things out of the bag and put them in pockets if it looks like we're going to get weighed. It doesn't matter if they see me doing it (although I'll be subtle if I can) as it's all within the rules.
Having a single jacket with big pockets does make it easier if you need to get scanned: emptying your pockets onto the conveyor belt can get messy. Another important issue is it's easier if you have a trusted travel partner to wait at the other side of any scanning checkpoint to stop your gear "growing legs" while you're being scanned...

It's worth researching the baggage limits for every airline you'll be travelling on beforehand, and weighing your gear! Not just your carry-on, but check-in as well. Size and weight are both important. Most international trips involve multiple airlines, and you don't want to be stuck with a problem far from home. At least flying domestically you're likely to only have one carrier to deal with.

[chrisk]

i just flew on j/s and qf. on both occasions the security screening picked up both tripod and monopod. neither was allowed as onboard luggage.

[surenj]

Recently flew Virgin Melb - Syd and was allowed to carry a Velbon tripod (no pointy bits) as carryon without any issues. Obviously security fellas are slow, stupid and inconsistent. I suppose not that different to the cabin crew if you throw in rude and not-helpful.

[team piggy]

Flew ADL - SYD with Qantas last year for a Cockatoo island photo shoot.
Pre-organised with Qantas duty manager and they allowed Manfrotto tripod and Camera gear thru security (Who would not pass the items mind you) until the Duty manager came to see them on my departure from ADL.
SYD I walked striaght thru the security not an eyelid blinked nor question asked... Straight on the plane.

[gasgasgas]

I've travelled both domestically and internationally with camera gear of varying weights and both checked and carry on. Before I got a lockable hard case, I used to carry my full camera kit in a Tamrac Pro 12 shoulder bag (~20kg) as carry on. My tripod/monopod was always checked in a soft Pelican tripod case. I was never stopped or searched at the counter or security at any time over several years and numerous flights. I now have a lockable Pelican hard case that my camera gear goes into as checked luggage. Still no dramas. I dread the day that something happens, but will cross that bridge when it happens. It's all insured.

Cheers

[gstark]

Before I got a lockable hard case,

Be aware that, while traveling in the USofA, a locked case is of little value. Inland Security now open bags, locked or otherwise, to physically inspect the contents for stuff that you're not supposed to be carrying on a plane. Upon unpacking my bags on my return to SYD ex-LAX, I found nice little notes inside my checked luggage telling me that they had rifled through my dirty laundry.

[gasgasgas]

Be aware that, while traveling in the USofA, a locked case is of little value. Inland Security now open bags, locked or otherwise

Gary,

Who said I locked it!!!

I have a good knowledge of what goes on in airports, behind the scenes and know that a locked case will only keep the innocent out of your gear. I have the case for it's ability to keep my gear safe and intact, regardless of how it WILL be treated. If someone want's it, they'll take it and there's not a lot I can do about that, unless I catch them!!! Then it's another ball game entirely.

Cheers

[team piggy]

I have a friend who sends lots of $$$$$$ of electronics on planes a lot.
We sorted some tiny (<cigarette packet) size GPS loggers for him. These things whenever they get a whiff of the sky report back to a central base. This way if the gear goes missing they can at least have a fairly good chance of getting it back or apprehending the thieves!
They work from inside of a pelican case too and have a 2-4 week battery life

[Glen]

TP, that is an excellent idea! So simple yet not really done.

[latch]

team piggy, did you make those GPS loggers or purchase them? Its such a good idea, but I've never seen anything like that for sale!

[DaveB]

How do they report back to base?
If they were GSM modems/phones wouldn't the airlines get upset about having the phones on? If they were GlobalStar simplex modems it can take a while to lock onto a satellite (the GPS satellites only send data, not receive it of course).

[gstark]

Make t so that it's an integral part of a suitcase, and you have your very own self-seeking luggage. There's a product to bring to the market place.

[jethro]

Try to take your gear onboard. If they buck send it to oversize at least it will have semi VIP treatment and doesn't get hammered like ordinary baggage. This is a fact!

Jethro

[DaveB]

Try to take your gear onboard. If they buck send it to oversize at least it will have semi VIP treatment and doesn't get hammered like ordinary baggage. This is a fact!

Not everywhere it's not.

Once they take your item off you and send it down below to be put in the hold, you have no control over it. Presumably you haven't packed it in the same way as something you KNEW was going into the hold, etc. Hopefully they'll tag each item and give you appropriate tracking details. Hopefully they'll treat each item as though it was a Faberge egg. Hopefully the person who unpacks it at the other end and throws it onto the baggage carousel (or packs it onto the next plane I'm transferring to) will do the same.
Too many "hopefully"s for me... Especially when travelling internationally.

The items I carry-on are usually very high value or essential medical supplies (again: high value). I try to make damn sure before I check my bags that everything I'm carrying will be able to stay with me. If they won't be able to stay with me, I make sure they're securely packed in my check-in bags. And then pray!

[gstark]

Hopefully they'll tag each item and give you appropriate tracking details. Hopefully they'll treat each item as though it was a Faberge egg. Hopefully the person who unpacks it at the other end and throws it onto the baggage carousel (or packs it onto the next plane I'm transferring to) will do the same.

Dave,

On my most recent trip to the USofA, a couple of the planes I was on were quite sardine-like, with little in the way of overhead bin storage.

On all flights however, some patients/prisoners were relieved of their carry-on, which was tagged and taken down into the hold. Upon arrival, those items were immediately unpacked, and transported back up to the doorway for collection by their owners well before heading down the corridor to that blue carousel of death.

Not the best situation, but far better than it may have otherwise been.

[triggersnappy]

so did you get your gear onboard Bob? flying domestic should be cool i went to Melbourne beginning of the year took my camera, speedlite and 2 lens on Virgin and they were fine with it i even took pics on the plane..

on the way back the air hostess asked me to put it away and being me i kinda placed it out of sight until she walked away lol

here are some dodgy shots i took out of the window http://www.flickr.com/photos/triggersnappy/2219104287 (do pardon me but i rarely fly so was like a kid in a candy store )

[team piggy]

team piggy, did you make those GPS loggers or purchase them? Its such a good idea, but I've never seen anything like that for sale!

There is dozens of ready made ones available.

Motorola make some of the best ones.

[ATJ]

I have a GPS logger but the only way to determine where it has been is to download the data directly from it. Sounds like the one used here is less of a logger and more of a satellite transmitter as used for tracking animals. I wouldn't think the airlines would be all that happy with something like that transmitting while the plane is in flight.

[team piggy]

Actually they use GPRS and can be set to only transmit every so often or when polled from a remote number (which is what we do, send it a sms and it drops a burst of data to you via GPRS, it sits in a passive mode in the meantime). They also have the ability to only turn on the receiving section on a time frequency which we also use to conserve the battery life.
So it meets ALL FAA and airline requirements.
It is not an animal tracking device though could be used for that purpose if required.

[rflower]

I went flying recently, and thought I could add to this topic.

I flew MEL-ADE-MEL over the period of 48 hours. I was staying at my parents house, so I travelled real light.
I did not intend on checking any baggage. This is all that I carried:

• Lowepro Micro Trekker 200 with 1 body, 4 lenses and a sb800 (my signature line)
• Attached to the bottom of the micro trekker, was my Velbon tripod (in the carry bag).
• Also squeezed into the tripod carry bag was socks, jocks, shirts and essential toiletries
• A leather jacket was slung over my arm.

The security person almost swore when my bag came up on the x-ray at Melbourne airport, but angrily pushed it through.
Virgin flight staff said nothing.
Leg 1 complete

48 hours later ... Adelaide airport
The carry on luggage is the same, except this time I also have a smallish Green reusable safeway bag, with stuff my mum wanted me to take home.

Security experts ( ) would not let the bag with the tripod attached go through . I tried to ask why, they said the ground/airport crew for Virgin would not let them. The security would get in trouble. I tried to explain the previous trip 48 hours earlier. They did not care.

Back to the virgin desk. The consultant there was helpful(ish), and said that they were trying to get the regs changed to allow tripods. At least they did not charge me $20 to check some baggage in.

I took the tripod off the bottom of the bag, and checked it in to oversize luggage. The consultant there gave the advice that because the new Adelaide airport is the last airport opened, its Security rating was higher, so they had to be more stringent with security than other airports.

Back through security (successfully), and walk up to the gate, where my flight had just started boarding

It all arrived safely at the other end though.


Moral of the story ... Tripods may be dangerous weapons (HTF I don't know) at the airport or on a plane ...
maybe someone may get upset if their hair is out of place in the full plane portrait
or maybe people trying to get one on a plane may get upset if they cannot get it on as carry on luggage.

RF

[DaveB]

Did your tripod get back to you on the luggage carousel, or was it returned to you as you left the plane?
I expect the carousel, but see Gary's comments above.

Overall that's a not-unexpected story. Different airports do have different levels of security (even just to the extent of having the walk-through scanners set at different levels) and just because you got through one checkpoint with no hassles is no guarantee you'll get through the next one.
When I was flying for work every couple of weeks (~10 years ago) I noticed this all over. Canberra always seemed to have higher security (presumably because of the poor vulnerable politicians who work there...).

Last week I flew MEL->PER->MEL, and because I decided to take a tripod added a checked bag to my kit. Of course then because I had the space I ended up throwing a lot more kit in there too... Everything went smoothly from the travel point of view. I was surprised at Perth security that my boots _didn't_ set the walk-through sensors off (they have there in the past, and did at Darwin last year but never at Melbourne).

[ATJ]

I had no problems at all with camera gear on my two fairly recent trips.

In August, I flew to Cairns for my annual dive trip. I had two pieces of carry on luggage: My Delsey Gopix 90 Backpack was absolutely stuffed with gear, including my D300, D70, 12-24mm, 18-55mm and 60mm lenses, plus all sorts of electronic gadgets. I also had an el cheapo semi-rigid bag with my housing, one dome port and one strobe. I had no problems either way with these as carry-on (even though technically they broke the rules. The rest of my housing gear (spare housing, 2 other ports, 2 strobes, etc.) went as checked in a Pelican case.

In September, I flew to New York and had the Gopix 90 as my only piece of carry on heading over. Coming back, I also had a heavy duty paper bag with some goodies I had bought (CDs, DVDs, etc.) which I didn't want to pack in my luggage. I did try to bring 2 bottles of Zinfandel and 2 bottles of beer in the carry on, but was stopped at JFK and had to pack it in my checked luggage. Other than the liquids, I had no issues at all in either direction.

[gstark]

but see Gary's comments above.

My expectation in this instance would be similar to your's Dave. The experiences I was referring to were in the USofA.

[rflower]

Did your tripod get back to you on the luggage carousel, or was it returned to you as you left the plane?
I expect the carousel, but see Gary's comments above.

yes on the Carousel.

[big pix]

Just returned from a trip to Queensland, flying Qantas, with one suitcase, one pelican case, Slingshot 200, and small computer Bag....... flying out of Canberra, I was charged $20.00 excess, flying home no extra charge, and no comment about, or checking the weight, of the Slingshot 200 or the laptop bag which I carried on board both ways

[ATJ]

I didn't get charged for excess baggage at either Sydney or Cairns for the dive trip. On the way up the bag with my dive gear and clothes, etc. was around 27kg but on the way back it was around 30kg (the dive gear was still damp). No charge.

There was a sign Cairns Airport that Greg B would have loved: "Checked bags can not be over 32kg". Well, of course they, can. I think they meant "...may not...".

[Ryzz]

Having just flown SYD -> Paris, Rome -> SYD, using BA, Cathay Pacific & Qantas and a Lowepro Computreker bag full of camera gear on my bag. I can say I've had no problems what so ever. All I can suggest is pack if carefully, and try and be towards the front of the boarding line to ensure you can find adequate overhead room to fit your bag. Generally speaking if it fits on your back, they dont question it.