Transport of Airsoft-Equipment by plane
Posted: 06 Sep 2011, 22:46
A friendly word af advice from a safety consultant at Frankfurt Airport:
Every day we have to stop cargo and/or passenger baggage due to safety violations. Some Materials are considered to be dangerous goods when transported on a plane and need special packaging and/or documentation to be transported. Some even can only be handled as freight and are not allowed in passenger baggage (checked-in) or in personal baggage you take with you on the plane (carry-on).
If you desperately must take some of the items that fall under special regulations, stick to the rules that apply. If your baggage is stopped during pre-flight operations, you might have to postpone your flight and
explain over and over again to a lot of people such as myself why you are taking dangerous goods onto an airplane, lose the items anyway or even not have your baggage handed out in time or in the worst case sent back to your home.
The following airsoft-related items fall under the dangerous goods regulations:
Airsoft Gas
(like 134a or propane)
Pressurized Canisters are considered dangerous and have to be transported as freight.
You can not under any circumstances take these onto a plane or pack these into your checked baggage.
It's a complicated and expensive matter, so rather leave your cans at home and buy your gas at berget on
location.
Spraycans
like silicone-oil, anti-fog etc or moskito-spray that use a propellant to be dispensed from a pressurized canister or small receptacle.
You can safely pack these into your checked baggage.
You can not carry these in your on-flight carry-on baggage.
Lithium Batteries
Now here's a major Problem. Ever seen a short circuited Lithium battery go off? no ? you don't want to, especially not in an airplane, trust me.
For Airsoft Lithium Batteries for AEGs here's what counts:
Luckily most batteries used in airsoft are not considered to fall under the regulations as they never exceed the limit of 100Wh capacity.
E.g. a 1400mAh 7.2V battery has a capacity of 10.08 Wh.
The wattage is not all too often displayed or marked on airsoft batteries, so it's always good to have a Data-Sheet that shows the technical props such as mAh and Voltage if your battery is completely blank.
You may pack these into your checked baggage, provided you don't pack more than 2 batteries per bag and ensure they are seperated from each other and can not short-circuit (eg. tape the connectors)
You also may carry these in your carry-on bagge in the airplane, a maximum of 2 batteries per person is allowed.
In any case, you must get the operators (airline) permission before check-in. Before your flight, check with your airline if there are any special regulations.
p.s.: Ni-Mh or Alkaline Batteries are completely O.K. as they do not contain lithium.
Camping Stoves
You may pack these into your checked-in baggage, but only the stoves.
The gas or fuel canisters must be removed, these are forbidden to take under any circumstances.
Dry Fuel
such as Esbit or Hexamine used to heat food cans etc.
Is completely forbidden to take with you under any circumstances.
matches or cigarette lighter
one packet of matches or simple lighter may be carried on person.
You may not pack any of these in your baggage, either checked-in or carry-on.
"Zippo" Fuel-lighters are allowed also.
Lighter Fuel used to refill such is not allowed for transport in your either checked-in or carry-on.
Special "strike-anywhere" matches are completely forbidden under any circumstances. Leave them at home.
Pyrotechnics
such as pyrotechnical Airsoft-Grenades, Crackers/Bangers, Signal-Ammunition, Smoke-Grenades or anything else thinkable that can explode or cause smoke, excessive heat or fire.
Common sense will tell you that any of these items are completely forbidden to take along.
Here's a list by the IATA what you can take and what not.
http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/dang ... ble23A.pdf
This is just a selection of which items i could think of to find in airsoft equipment when travelling to a game. If you are unsure you can pm me and i'll try my best to answer if any of your equipment is not allowed to take with you.
I'll find out more on the transport of lithium-batteries because it's a complicated issue. As soon as i know more i'll post here.
Every day we have to stop cargo and/or passenger baggage due to safety violations. Some Materials are considered to be dangerous goods when transported on a plane and need special packaging and/or documentation to be transported. Some even can only be handled as freight and are not allowed in passenger baggage (checked-in) or in personal baggage you take with you on the plane (carry-on).
If you desperately must take some of the items that fall under special regulations, stick to the rules that apply. If your baggage is stopped during pre-flight operations, you might have to postpone your flight and
explain over and over again to a lot of people such as myself why you are taking dangerous goods onto an airplane, lose the items anyway or even not have your baggage handed out in time or in the worst case sent back to your home.
The following airsoft-related items fall under the dangerous goods regulations:
Airsoft Gas
(like 134a or propane)
Pressurized Canisters are considered dangerous and have to be transported as freight.
You can not under any circumstances take these onto a plane or pack these into your checked baggage.
It's a complicated and expensive matter, so rather leave your cans at home and buy your gas at berget on
location.
Spraycans
like silicone-oil, anti-fog etc or moskito-spray that use a propellant to be dispensed from a pressurized canister or small receptacle.
You can safely pack these into your checked baggage.
You can not carry these in your on-flight carry-on baggage.
Lithium Batteries
Now here's a major Problem. Ever seen a short circuited Lithium battery go off? no ? you don't want to, especially not in an airplane, trust me.
For Airsoft Lithium Batteries for AEGs here's what counts:
Luckily most batteries used in airsoft are not considered to fall under the regulations as they never exceed the limit of 100Wh capacity.
E.g. a 1400mAh 7.2V battery has a capacity of 10.08 Wh.
The wattage is not all too often displayed or marked on airsoft batteries, so it's always good to have a Data-Sheet that shows the technical props such as mAh and Voltage if your battery is completely blank.
You may pack these into your checked baggage, provided you don't pack more than 2 batteries per bag and ensure they are seperated from each other and can not short-circuit (eg. tape the connectors)
You also may carry these in your carry-on bagge in the airplane, a maximum of 2 batteries per person is allowed.
In any case, you must get the operators (airline) permission before check-in. Before your flight, check with your airline if there are any special regulations.
p.s.: Ni-Mh or Alkaline Batteries are completely O.K. as they do not contain lithium.
Camping Stoves
You may pack these into your checked-in baggage, but only the stoves.
The gas or fuel canisters must be removed, these are forbidden to take under any circumstances.
Dry Fuel
such as Esbit or Hexamine used to heat food cans etc.
Is completely forbidden to take with you under any circumstances.
matches or cigarette lighter
one packet of matches or simple lighter may be carried on person.
You may not pack any of these in your baggage, either checked-in or carry-on.
"Zippo" Fuel-lighters are allowed also.
Lighter Fuel used to refill such is not allowed for transport in your either checked-in or carry-on.
Special "strike-anywhere" matches are completely forbidden under any circumstances. Leave them at home.
Pyrotechnics
such as pyrotechnical Airsoft-Grenades, Crackers/Bangers, Signal-Ammunition, Smoke-Grenades or anything else thinkable that can explode or cause smoke, excessive heat or fire.
Common sense will tell you that any of these items are completely forbidden to take along.
Here's a list by the IATA what you can take and what not.
http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/dang ... ble23A.pdf
This is just a selection of which items i could think of to find in airsoft equipment when travelling to a game. If you are unsure you can pm me and i'll try my best to answer if any of your equipment is not allowed to take with you.
I'll find out more on the transport of lithium-batteries because it's a complicated issue. As soon as i know more i'll post here.