Traveling with your UAV

Here's a tip for you is you are traveling with your UAV using our nations airlines: Be Prepared and call ahead.

I have traveled a few times with my modified EasyGlider and FPV/UAV kit without incident. But on these early trips, the TSA did not feel it necessary to open everything up. Not so on my last trip. I returned home to find my kit in significant disarray and several items damaged. Without going into too much detail here (see my rant on RCgroups http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=730238.) I have leaned a few tips for travelling with you plane which I'd like to repost here:

Call the airline ahead of time and let them know what you are bringing and get their suggestions.
Tell the counter agent you are traveling with sensitive equipment. Ask for a hand search of your cases. Secure it with Tie-wraps/zip ties after it is inspected.
Pack all your items in smaller clearly labeled cases. Labels help everyone.
If you have to pack a plane, separate the plane from everything else this gives them one less thing to destroy.
one person sugested packing a (legal!) gun in a guncase that also contained you gear. That way it can be locked after TSA inspection.
or Ship everything ahead of time with UPS or FedEx.

Thanks to the contributors from RC Groups for their input. I'm now better prepared for my next trip

Paul

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Moderator

Sgt Ric August 23, 2007 at 8:54am

I would't try that in the US right now.
Hugo Vincent August 21, 2007 at 2:10am

Well, I traveled from Christchurch, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia and back earlier this year on my way to Linux.conf.au'07 carrying my homemade autopilot in my carry-on luggage. It was in a dodgey looking cardboard box along with some batteries, with wires dangling out, and bits of duck tape holding it together, but the security staff (both in NZ and Australia) didn't even ask to look at it as it went through the x-ray machines.
Moderator

Sgt Ric August 20, 2007 at 2:28pm

Another travel obstacle seems to center on american export restrictions regarding technology used in UAVs.
The local security personnel do not always have an understanding of these restrictions and may balk at allowing these items to pass.

This was very disruptive several years ago during the competition here in Calgary, Canada.
Most teams were allowed to leave the U.S. without incident, until one official realized the models were covered under exprt restrictions, and held up a couple teams' attendance.

An extreme case would be the arrest of some Yamaha execs after they sold several RMax model helicopters to China for use as UAVs.

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