Updated Travel Advice

OzCam · 11-11-2009 11:14pm #1

1. Don't pack BBs in your cabin (carry-on) baggage.

I had a bag of BBs seized at the security check at DUB on Friday. They wouldn't allow them in the cabin, even after I explained that they were harmless and so on. Wouldn't budge at all. They did offer to let me return to the checkin desk to have the bag put in the hold, but since that would have cost more than buying a bag of BBs at the destination I surrendered them and they were binned. The screeners were quite nice about it, but would not be persuaded. The picture of a gun on the label only strengthened their resolve.

2. EI have a clause, buried deep within their baggage regulations, that you can only have one gun per case.

"** Sport guns and ammunition cartridges will only be carried subject to the following:
Guns are to be dismantled.
They will only be carried in the baggage hold of the aircraft.
They must be packed separately from other baggage.
They must be packed one gun per case.
They must be available for inspection by security.
Ammunition/cartridges must also be loaded in the baggage hold and must be available for inspection.
They will be subject to a max baggage allowance of 30k including arms and ammunition.
All government and legal regulations must be complied with.
All documentation and licenses are the passengers responsibility.
Subject to an extra charge for the carriage of sports guns and ammunition."

They didn't apply the one-per-case limit on my flights, but it does exist if they wish to. BTW, the checkin staff were brilliant. I had to do a bit of explaining as they'd never heard of airsoft or replicas, but apart from the extra few minutes to wrestle with the computer they were fantastic.

3. Outbound procedure at LHR.

When you declare a firearm at checkin, the bag will be tagged as a normal bag. You will be brought over to the ticketing desk, where they will take note of the tag number. You can then take a seat and wait for a nice man from Group4 Securicor to arrive. You then fill in and sign a declaration form (describing the item(s) as a "Realistic Imitation Firearm"). The G4 person will ask you to describe what is in the case, what it looks like, and whether there's anything else in the case. Then he takes it away, and the next time you see it is when you land. Mine did not arrive with a firearm tag on it, and it just came out on the carousel with all the other bags.

Personal opinion: Due to the hassle involved with packing – this can't go in the cabin, that can't go in the hold, etc – and the cost of bringing 3 bags, I would probably not choose to fly to an airsoft event in England again. It was far worse than the bureaucracy of declaring imitation firearms (that bit actually went fine, both ways). They didn't bat an eyelid in Heathrow.

BTW, SO19 are now using EOTech 552s on their MP5s.

Anyone posting that these regulations are silly deserves an infraction for wasting everyone's time and bandwidth. Please spare us. I'm pointing these things out to smooth your journey at the aiport.

Private Snafu · 11-11-2009 11:26pm

Always good to know the story in regards to flying.

Gotta say though, to me the hassle of flying far outweighs time spent trying to sleep on a bus

saying that though, the bus and boat over to England really were a doddle, even with the 30 of us on the bus

Lemming · 11-11-2009 11:33pm

OzCam wrote: »

1. Don't pack BBs in your cabin (carry-on) baggage.

I had a bag of BBs seized at the security check at DUB on Friday. They wouldn't allow them in the cabin, even after I explained that they were harmless and so on. Wouldn't budge at all. They did offer to let me return to the checkin desk to have the bag put in the hold, but since that would have cost more than buying a bag of BBs at the destination I surrendered them and they were binned. The screeners were quite nice about it, but would not be persuaded. The picture of a gun on the label only strengthened their resolve.

You're only figuring that out now? I had that particular conversation with a muppet at the security gates on the way to Sweden.

They're "replicas" apparently. I'm not sure what BBs are replicas of exactly. Maybe 6mm round projectiles used in airs ... oh wait ... :pac:

OzCam · 12-11-2009 12:24am

Lemming wrote: »

You're only figuring that out now?

My bio BBs were in my carry-on bag for the flight to Sweden, with no problem. Perhaps different BBs show up differently on the x-ray machines. I imagine plastic, rock salt and cellulose all look different on the screen.

I invite everyone else to learn from my mistakes, as I hope to do from theirs.

TheDoc · 12-11-2009 1:18am

Lemming wrote: »

You're only figuring that out now? I had that particular conversation with a muppet at the security gates on the way to Sweden.

They're "replicas" apparently. I'm not sure what BBs are replicas of exactly. Maybe 6mm round projectiles used in airs ... oh wait ... :pac:

That was a quality incident that was just out of this world.

I just wouldnt be arsed flying to England for a game, I'd quicker get a ferry and road trip it.

And I googled a pic of an mp5 with an eotech....and it looks immense, I think that G&G mp5 is going to have to find its way into my armoury

Lemming · 12-11-2009 1:51am

OzCam wrote: »

My bio BBs were in my carry-on bag for the flight to Sweden, with no problem. Perhaps different BBs show up differently on the x-ray machines. I imagine plastic, rock salt and cellulose all look different on the screen.

I had Bios as well. And you'd be amazed at what they can tell from the X-ray screens. They have the ability to run different spectrums so can tell with great ease what most things are or are not.

TheDoc wrote: »

That was a quality incident that was just out of this world.

The guy back at the baggage check-in seemed to think so too. Took one look at me, a look at the bag, looked back at me and with a dead pan voice said "those are clearly a threat to airport security ... *cough*". Legend! Had a great five minute conversation with him ripping the p*ss out of it all

Shiva · 12-11-2009 2:43am

Lemming wrote: »

Had a great five minute conversation with him ripping the p*ss out of it all

Unfortunately, you find these insecure losers with unhappy lives in all walks of life - grandstanding and making pompous statements to make themselves feel important. The funny part is they kid themselves into believing people think they're somehow important, when in reality we all see them for the insignificant neurotic they really are.

Stercus Accidit · 12-11-2009 3:02am

Shiva wrote: »

Unfortunately, you find these insecure losers with unhappy lives in all walks of life - grandstanding and making pompous statements to make themselves feel important. The funny part is they kid themselves into believing people think they're somehow important, when in reality we all see them for the insignificant neurotic they really are.

The nasty man took your bb's, didn't he?

gandalf · 12-11-2009 10:23am

Sounds like he took them all together and not like Lemming wanted to give them to him......... one at a time at 328fps

Shiva · 12-11-2009 11:14am

gandalf wrote: »

Sounds like he took them all together and not like Lemming wanted to give them to him......... one at a time at 328fps

Reading this thread is making me want to go to the Ranting and Raving forum for a vent

TheDoc · 12-11-2009 11:17am

Shiva wrote: »

Unfortunately, you find these insecure losers with unhappy lives in all walks of life - grandstanding and making pompous statements to make themselves feel important. The funny part is they kid themselves into believing people think they're somehow important, when in reality we all see them for the insignificant neurotic they really are.

So true....

But sometimes I cant help but see the look on peoples face when I ask them for ID...the power of it...the power

OzCam · 12-11-2009 3:40pm

Mods please lock this thread.

The purpose was to help people when flying with airsoft equipment.

I had no problem with the security people or the airline, other than a bag which remains missing in LHR. Everyone I interacted with was courteous and professional, and the Aer Lingus staff were top class.

If someone wants to rant they can start their own thread to do it in.

Shiva · 12-11-2009 3:46pm

Apologies Bernard, I wasn't thinking when I posted that....it wasn't my intention to drag it off topic.

hrta · 12-11-2009 3:47pm

I'd say, because you had checked in baggage in the hold, as what was your reason for bringing them in your carry-on baggage, as the BB's would show up as organic material, would be there thinking.

The colour of the X ray image displayed depends upon the material and material density . Organic material such as paper, clothes and most explosives are dispayed in orange. Mixed materials such as aluminium are displayed in green. Inorganic materials such as copper are displayed in blue and non-penetrable items are displayed in black (some machines display this as a yellowish green or red). The darkness of the colour depends upon the density or thickness of the material.

The material density determination is achieved by two-layer detector. The layers of the detector pixels are separated with a strip of metal. The metal absorbs soft gamma, letting the shorter, more penetrating wavelengths through to the bottom layer of detectors, turning the detector to a crude two-band spectrometer. Signal from the top layer is displayed as orange, signal from the bottom layer as blue.

Masada · 12-11-2009 4:15pm

And on next weeks google lesson kids...

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/X-ray_machine wrote:

The colour of the image displayed depends upon the material and material density . Organic material such as paper, clothes and most explosives are dispayed in orange. Mixed materials such as aluminium are displayed in green. Inorganic materials such as copper are displayed in blue and non-penetrable items are displayed in black (some machines display this as a yellowish green or red). The darkness of the colour depends upon the density or thickness of the material.

The material density determination is achieved by two-layer detector. The layers of the detector pixels are separated with a strip of metal. The metal absorbs soft gamma, letting the shorter, more penetrating wavelengths through to the bottom layer of detectors, turning the detector to a crude two-band spectrometer. Signal from the top layer is displayed as orange, signal from the bottom layer as blue.

hrta · 12-11-2009 4:29pm

Masada wrote: »

And on next weeks google lesson kids...

most stuff i would be copy and paste, as you know well my spelling is not that good, not all info on the net is lie's.

paul.

o1s1n · 12-11-2009 4:32pm

Closed at OP's request.

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